February 2nd, 2026 — Congratulations to Alex for his acceptance into the Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) for the 2026 summer! Alex will be investigating the role of IFN and IFN-stimulated genes in the oncolytic potential of reovirus. Good job!
January 14th, 2026 — Congratulations to Alice, Nivea, and Ryder for their accepted abstracts to be presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2026 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, VA from April 13-15th. Keep it upppp!
December 15th, 2025 — HUGE congrats to former lab member, Thomas McKiernan (Bio ’25) for his admission to the UNC-Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry! We are incredibly proud of all your accomplishments! #NextDentistInDaHouse
December 10th, 2025 — Alex Roberts (he/him) officially joins the lab as a BIO4999 research student! Alex is currently a Junior majoring in Biology (Biotechnology concentration) and will be working on interferon signaling in cancer cells. Welcome to the team!
December 2nd, 2025 — Our photogenic lab members, Kalialani and Alice, are showcased as part of Elon’s “The Month in Photos” for November! #WeAreSmartAndGorgeous [Link here!]
November 14th, 2025 — We celebrate the (almost) end of the semester and the welcome to new lab members, Kalialani and Alex, throwing a mini Pizza Party! #LiveLovePipetteStuff
November 13th, 2025 — Kalialani Choate (she/her) officially joins the lab as a BIO4999 research student! Kalialani is currently a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry and met Dr. E last year when he tortured (pronounced “taught”) her Introductory Cell Biology. Welcome to the team!
October 3rd, 2025 — Lab alumni Thomas (Bio ’25) and Owen (visiting high school student) came to visit us today! We sure miss you guys!
September 23rd, 2025 — We celebrate Ryder’s 20th birthday! Thanks for all the laughs, memories, and (of course) good research since you joined our lab! #DevelopingFrontalLobe
August 4-7th, 2025 — Dr. E travels to the Allen Institute of Cell Science in Seattle, WA for Teachstravaganza. This is 4-day a collaborative curricular development workshop that brings Allen Institute scientists in the same room with undergraduate biology instructors. Dr. E will be bringing some of these resources to his Introductory Cell Biology course!
July 24th, 2025 — Alice, Ryder, and Owen present their summer research projects at the 2025 Elon SURE Symposium! Alice worked on optimizing conditions to test the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents against fibrosarcoma cells, Ryder identified reovirus variants with high oncolytic potential in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and Owen established a software pipeline to automatically quantitate our fluorescence micrographs. Great job, y’all! #SquirtleSquadGang
July 21st, 2025 — Summer research has been completed and so we took some time off to enjoy ourselves before the final poster presentations ✌️
July 14th, 2025 — Summer research students are wrapping up their experiments and getting ready to prepare their SURE posters!
June 3rd, 2025 — Elon’s Summer Undergrad Research Experience (SURE) has begun! Ryder and Alice will be working on their proposed research projects related to oncolytic virotherapy. And we welcome Owen Carter, senior at Weddington High School, who will be joining us for the summer to learn more about cells, viruses, and microscopy!
May 23rd, 2025 — we say “till later” to our graduating seniors! Charlotte, Ethan, Thomas, and unofficial lab member Kyla all graduate with recognitions and heading to new adventures. We couldn’t be any more proud of y’all and will miss you dearly! #ProudMentor #MySecondFamily
May 9th, 2025 — the Elon Biology Department recognizes and celebrates our 2025 graduating seniors! Congrats to Charlotte for receiving the “Acorn to Oak” award and Thomas McKiernan for receiving one of the two “Keystone Species” award for their growth and contributions to the department, respectively. And, of course, it is ALWAYS time to crack a joke or two with the crew.
May 4th, 2025 — Charlotte and yours truly travel to Honolulu, Hawai’i for Immunology2025, the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) annual meeting, to present their research. We also had lots of fun, of course! Read the full story here.
April 29th, 2025 — Huge kudos to Charlotte, Ethan, Thomas, and Nivea who all presented their research at Elon’s 2025 Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF)! Charlotte talked about oncolytic virotherapy, Ethan about viral evolution and immune escape, Thomas about immune responses in the mouth, and Nivea about the state of open access science in STEAM. Congrats!
April 22nd, 2025 — Congratulations to Elise who is one of the 15 students awarded the Lumen Prize this year! Elise’s interdisciplinary project will be co-mentored with Dr. Ryu and aimed at understanding excessive inflammatory responses in the human heart through mathematical modeling. We are proud of you for this incredible accomplishment!
April 12th, 2025 — Charlotte and Ethan presented their research at the Integrating Research in Science (IRIS) conference, a one-day regional STEM conference held on the Elon University campus this year. Great job communicating your work to a diverse audience!
April 8th, 2025 — Charlotte and Ethan present their research projects at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Pittsburgh, PA! Great job, you two!
March 7th, 2025 — Charlotte’s and Dr. E’s abstracts have been accepted for the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i! Charlotte will be presenting her research entitled “Oncolytic virotherapy and chemotherapeutic approaches against fibrosarcoma” and Dr. E will be presenting his educational research entitled “Development of laboratory modules in virology suitable for the undergraduate classroom” Now to prepare our posters! #Immunology2025
February 26th, 2025 — We celebrated two birthdays back-to-back: Ethan’s and Charlotte’s! As always, Happy Birthday and thanks for the honor of choosing me as your mentor!
February 15th, 2025 — Ethan Grossberg has been featured in Today At Elon for his initiative and efforts to raise money for Feed the Hunger in Greensboro, NC. Ethan, current Vice President of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, worked with Elon Dining during Winter Term to reinstate a meal swipe donation program so that unused meal swipes could be donated, in this case to provide food for a school in Pakistan that supports approximately 100 children in need. Great work, Ethan!
February 15th, 2025 — Drs. Hwayeon Ryu and Rivera-Serrano are awarded $5,000 through Elon’s Innovation Grants for their proposal “Strengthening interdisciplinary connections across STEM students through community building and professional development.” Stay tuned for upcoming events starting this upcoming summer!
February 14th, 2025 — Another successful “Mathematical Biology” group meeting! Members of my research team and Dr. Hwayeon Ryu‘s team meet once a month to discuss our research goals, explore interdisciplinary ways to address complex biological questions, and foster a sense of community between departments. Sponsored by a ECAS Dean Mini-Grant.
January 30th, 2025 — Charlotte Dagli returns from her experience in Tanzania, Africa! Charlotte spent three weeks working as a medical assistant in the Emergency Department at Mount Meru Regional Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. We are proud of your accomplishments and glad you had the experience of a lifetime helping others!
“Many of the adult patients I saw had been in motorcycle accidents or were dealing with organ failure, while in pediatrics, I frequently encountered cases of cerebral palsy and pneumonia. The conditions at this hospital were tough to adjust to, with limited supplies and a very different sense of urgency compared to the United States. However, I quickly learned to improvise with whatever resources were available. Outside of the hospital, I loved exploring the beautiful country, encountering a variety of animals and meeting so many amazing people along the way. I am grateful for this experience where I was able to touch the lives of patients, embrace another culture and learn so much about medicine.” —Charlotte
January 27th, 2025 — Both Alice and Ryder are accepted to participate in Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)! Alice will be studying the effects of combining oncolytic virotherapy + traditional chemotherapy in human fibrosarcoma cells, while Ryder will be assessing the oncolytic potential of different reoviral strains in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Congrats, you two!
December 4th, 2024 — Alice Efremov joins our lab as a BIO4999 research student! They will be researching the effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapy in conjunction with traditional chemotherapy on fibrosarcoma cell survival. Welcome to our group, Alice!
November 22nd, 2024 — Charlotte, Ethan, and Thomas present their research as part of our monthly Mathematical Biology group meetings with Dr. Ryu, funded through the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office!
October 31st, 2024 — Halloween is here and Ryder’s costume… well, it’s Dr. E 🙂
October 21st, 2024 — Nivea submitted their Honors Thesis proposal! Congrats, Nivea!
October 20th, 2024 — Charlotte discusses her research during Elon’s 1st Sidewalk Symposium at Belk Library! Nice summary of her work with nothing more than just imagination, colored chalks and… well, a sidewalk!
October 4th, 2024 — Charlotte, Ethan, and Thomas receive funding from Elon’s Undergraduate Research Program for their individual projects! Now to do some cool experiments! 💰
September 23rd, 2024 — Happy 19th Birthday to Ryder! Thanks for keeping our lab clean!
August 27th, 2024 — Nivea Walker joins our lab as an HNR4998 research student! They will be researching how different variables related to audiovisual venues of communication influence how nonspecialized audiences perceive and respond to science. Welcome to our group, Nivea!
July 25th, 2024 — Charlotte presented the results of her Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) project! Charlotte successfully identified reoviruses that exhibit high infection rate and cytopathicity in human fibrosarcoma cells, some of which she will be further characterizing next semester. #ProudMentor #WomenInScience
May 30th, 2024 — Charlotte is highlighted on “Today at Elon” for receiving the 2024 NCICU Undergraduate Research Award!
May 10th, 2024 — All three of our current research students are recognized by the Department of Biology! Ethan Grossberg is awarded with the 2024 Reddish Morgan Scholarship, Thomas McKiernan receives the Elon Biology Rising Star Award, and Charlotte Dagli (+ unofficial lab member Kyla Farrell) are recognized for their contributions to the department. Congratulations, y’all!!! #ProudMentor
April 30th, 2024 — Charlotte is the recipient of a research award thanks to the NCICU Undergraduate Research Program — Congratulations!
March 6th, 2024 — Happy 21st Birthday to Charlotte! So glad you are part of our team!
January 29th, 2024 — CONGRATULATIONS to Charlotte Dagli on being selected to participate in Elon’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program! Charlotte will be using directed evolution to improve the efficiency of viruses to specifically kill cancerous cells. Kudos to Charlotte! 🥳
December of 2023 — Our Research Lab is ready! Thanks to Charlotte, Ethan, Thomas, and unofficial lab member Kyla for helping with the set up, decor, and organization. We are READY for the Spring semester!
November 20th, 2023 — Our proposal “Establishing a research platform to study the flexibility and limitations of viral evolution” has been funded through Elon’s Faculty Research & Development! 💰
November 21st, 2023 — Thomas McKiernan officially joins our lab as a BIO4999 research student! Future dentist, Thomas, will be studying immune responses to infectious agents in the oral cavity. Welcome to our group, Thomas! 🥳
November 10th, 2023 — Ethan Grossberg officially joins our lab as a BIO4999 research student! Ethan will be researching how viruses evolve to escape from antibody-mediated neutralization. Welcome to our group, Ethan! 🥳
November 1st, 2023 — Our research lab is almost ready! Cabinets are in, biosafety hood is in, and everything else is getting assembled! We are looking forward to growing some cells and viruses!
October 31st, 2023 — Charlotte Dagli receives her “Grants-in-Aid” funding through Elon’s Undergraduate Research Program to support her research on oncolytic virotherapy. Congrats! 🎉
August 7th, 2023 — Our laboratory space is undergoing some major remodeling! Looking forward for this to become a place of exceptional mentoring and discoveries!
August 8th, 2023 — Charlotte Dagli joins our research group as a BIO4999 research student! Huge welcome and thanks for being our very first undergraduate researcher! 🥳
Rivera-Serrano research laboratory 