The Team

Efraín (“Efra”) Rivera-Serrano, Ph.D. (he/him)

I was born and raised in Ponce, a small beach town in the southern part of Puerto Rico. My areas of expertise revolve around the areas of cell biology, virology, and immunology. For over 10 years, my research has focused on the cell biology of viral infections—with an emphasis on how viruses enter and exit their host cells, how cells defend themselves against viruses, and how viruses evolve to escape from such antiviral forces. Outside of science, I am an avid runner and the proud parent of six rescue dogs. | LinkedIn

Education (click here to download my CV):
• B.Sc. in Biology and Chemistry, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico (2009)
• M.Sc. in Plant Biology and Biotechnology, North Carolina State University (2012)
• Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University (2016)

Courses taught at Elon:

  • BIO1050 — Infectious Diseases & Social Transformations (Winter only)
  • BIO1064 — Biology: The Science of Life
  • BIO1112/1113 — Introductory Cell Biology + Lab
  • BIO2122/2123 — Microbiology for Health Professionals + Lab
  • BIO2412/2413 — Human Physiology + Lab
  • BIO2770 — Science Communication, Literacy, and Bioethics
  • BIO2970 — Introductory (Sophomore) Seminar
  • BIO3750 — Virology (coming in Fall 2026)
  • BIO4999/HNR4998 — Independent Research

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

Elise Butterbach (she/her) – Biomed Engineering ’27

Elise grew up in Clarendon Hills, IL. She is a Senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Elise’s dad is an emergency room doctor, and her family’s experiences with the COVID19 pandemic led her to take an interest in the medical field. Due to her interdisciplinary interest in both mathematics and biology, Elise is being co-mentored under Dr. Ryu in the Math department. Her Lumen research focuses on the mathematical modeling of cardiac inflammation to identify potential therapeutic targets. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, walking her dogs, reading, and spending time with family. | LinkedIn

Alex Roberts (he/him) – Biology ’27

Alex grew up in California, but now lives south of Charlotte, in Matthews, NC. He is a Senior majoring in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology, with minors in Neuroscience and Business Administration. Alex joined the lab in Spring of 2026 and his projects investigates the connection between the interferon signaling system, the kinase PKR, and the oncolytic potential of reovirus. Alex wants to use research to learn more about biotechnological techniques and equipment. Post-graduation, Alex plans to either apply to a graduate program or work in the biotechnology industry after a gap year or two. In his free time, he swims with Elon’s Club Swim Team, is involved with Biology Club, and loves learning about new technologies. | LinkedIn

Kalialani Choate (she/her) – Biochemistry ’28

Kalialani is “an Army brat” who was born in Hawaii and moved often before settling in North Carolina. She is currently a Sophomore majoring in Biochemistry and her research will focus on the immune response against viruses. She plans to use her lab experience to apply to medical schools and eventually become a pathologist. In her free time, Kalialani likes to sing, travel, and spend time with friends and family (including her dog!!!) 

Katherine Johnson (she/her) – Biochemistry and Public Health ’28

Katherine grew up in McLean, Virginia. She is double majoring in Biochemistry and Public Health Studies. Her Elon College Fellow’s research will focus on the influence of interferon-stimulated genes on the oncolytic potential of Reovirus in cancer cells. After graduation, she plans on using her lab experience to pursue a PhD. In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with friends, listen to music, and is a member of Elon’s Women’s Club Basketball Team.  | LinkedIn

Zach Stein (he/him) – Biology ’29

Zach is originally from Cleveland, OH. He is majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. His research will explore the antimicrobial effects of human saliva against non-enveloped viruses. Upon graduation, Zach plans to attend dental school and possibly specialize in orthodontics. Outside of school, Zach plays for the Elon Club lacrosse team and loves building legos. | LinkedIn

LAB ALUMNI

Charlotte Dagli (she/her) – Biology ’25

Charlotte grew up in Charlottesville, VA. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Food Studies in 2025. She joined the lab in the Fall of 2023 and spent 2+ years in the lab researching the use of oncolytic viruses against malignant fibrosarcoma cells. She is currently working on a Postbac at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. and preparing to apply to Medical School | LinkedIn

Accomplishments and research presentations
• Acorn to Oak Senior Award from the Biology Department
• SURE ’24 and NCICU funding
• Presentations at NCUR ’25 (Pittsburgh, PA) and Immunology2025 (Honolulu, HI), IRIS ’25, Elon SURF ’25 and other local venues.
• Publication: Identification of reovirus reassortants with enhanced oncolytic activity in human fibrosarcoma cells (Dagli et al., 2026, Virus Genes)

Ethan Grossberg (he/him) – Biology ’25

Ethan grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated with a B.S. in Biology with minors in Art and Neuroscience in 2025. Ethan joined the lab in Spring ’24 and his research focused on generating novel reoviruses insensitive to the neutralizing effects of monoclonal antibodies through directed evolution. Ethan is currently applying to Medical Schools. | LinkedIn

Awards received and research presentations
• Reddish Morgan Scholarship (Elon Bio, ’24)
• Phi Kappa Phi Vice-President 2024-2025
• Presentations at NCUR ’25 (Pittsburgh, PA), IRIS ’25, and Elon SURF ’25.

Thomas McKiernan (he/him) – Biology ’25

Thomas grew up in Rougemont, NC . He graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Business Administration. He joined the lab in Spring ’24 and his research examined the impact of bacterial infections in triggering immune and pro-inflammatory responses in cells derived from the tongue and gingiva. Thomas will be continuing his education at the UNC-Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry, starting in the Fall of 2026. | LinkedIn

Awards received and research presentations
• Elon Biology 2024 Rising Star Award
• Elon Biology 2024 Keystone Species Award
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Tutor for Introductory Cell Biology
• Research presentation at Elon SURF ’25.

Nivea Millner (they/them) – Biology and English ’26

Nivea has lived all over North Carolina, but currently lives in Pittsboro, NC. They graduated in ’26 double majoring in Integrative Biology and Literature. Nivea joined the group in the Fall of 2024 as an Honors Fellow and their Honors thesis focused on researching open access practices in academia, the prevalence and effectiveness of graphical abstracts in publications, and how these factors can be used to facilitate public engagement with primary research. In the future, Nivea hopes to incorporate their scientific communication background in the field of conservation biology. | LinkedIn

Alice Efremov (they/them) – Biology ’26

Alice was born in Albuquerque, NM, and after some moving around, grew up in Winston-Salem, NC. They graduated in ’26 with a degree in Biology with minors in Neuroscience and Theatre. For three full semesters and a summer, Alice’s research focused on combining reovirus with conventional chemotherapeutic approaches to reduce cancer cell viability. Upon graduation, Alice will continue their research endeavors through a Postbac Program at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland with Dr. Alex Compton. | LinkedIn

Ryder Hutchinson (he/him) – Nursing ’28

Ryder grew up in Charlotte, NC. He joined the lab in Spring 2025 and worked nonstop, including summer, until the Spring of 2026 on comparing the oncolytic potential of multiple reovirus reassortants against different epithelial cancer cell lines. As a Nursing major, Ryder is now ready to spend his last two years of college learning about patient care through both classroom and clinical experience. | LinkedIn

Owen Carter (he/him) – visiting High School student

Owen was born in Matthews, NC. After taking AP Biology in his junior year, he solidified his plan to major in biology in college to enter the medical field. He spent the 2025 summer as a visiting High School student analyzing changes in nuclear and mitochondrial morphology induced by reovirus and developing a software pipeline for high-throughput imaging analyses. Outside of school, he enjoys playing soccer, editing videos, and hanging out with friends. He will start his college journey in the Fall of 2026 at Wake Forest University. | LinkedIn

Research presentations
• Poster presentation at the Elon Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Symposium 2025

Are you an Elon student majoring in Biology or Biochemistry interested in joining our group? Reach out and join the party!