US DAVIS HESS LABORATORY

Contact

    Hess Lab
    University of California Davis
    Department of Animal Science
    2251 Meyer Hall
    Davis, CA 95616
    USA

    Email: mhess@ucdavis.edu
    Phone: +1 530 752 8809
    Fax: +1 530 752 0172

    Our Team

    Conducting Applied & Fundamental Microbial Ecology
    to
    Secure & Improve Ecosystem Health

    Current staff

    Project Scientist Saumya Wickramasinghe, PhD, MS BVSc LinkedIn
    Postdoctoral Scholar Katharine Dickson, PhD LinkedIn

    Hess Lab Alumni

    Alumni Stephanie Martinez-Beltran LinkedIn
    Alumni Claire Shaw, PhD LinkedIn
    Alumni Lyndsey Marsh LinkedIn
    Alumni Angela Sahagun LinkedIn
    Alumni Tom (Zihan) Li LinkedIn
    Alumni Carly Sweeney LinkedIn
    Alumni Jillian Jordan LinkedIn
    Alumni Elizabeth Anderson LinkedIn
    Alumni Breanna Roque LinkedIn
    Alumni Abbey Pfefferlen LinkedIn
    Alumni Maria Gonzalez LinkedIn
    Alumni Ellen Lai, BSc
    Alumni Jessica Mizzi, BSc
    Alumni Susan Parkyn
    Alumni Kayla Hearn
    Alumni Alexandra Henry
    Alumni Elizabeth Coon LinkedIn

    Join our team

    We are looking for talented students and postdocs to help our research. Interested? Send us an email to find out more.

    inquire now
    Group Lead Matthias Hess, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Current Position

    Associate Professor (Functional Systems Microbiology): University of California Davis, CA, USA

    Previous Positions

    Assistant Professor (Functional Systems Microbiology): University of California Davis, CA, USA – 2014 to 2021

    Assistant Professor (Systems Microbiology): Washington State University, Richland, WA, USA – 2011 to 2014

    Staff Scientist (Chemical and Biological Process Development Group): Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2011 to 2014

    Adjunct Scientist (Microbial Genomics Group): DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA – 2011 to 2018

    Postdoctoral Fellow (Microbial Genomics; Bioprospecting): Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA – 2007 to 2010

    Degrees

    PhD (Microbiology & Biotechnology): Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany – 2007

    MSc (Microbiology & Limnology): University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany – 2004

    BSc (Microbial Ecology & Botany): University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany – 1999

    Honors & Service

    Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship, University Honors Program, University of California, Davis, CA – 2021

    User Executive Committee Chair, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA – Since 2021

    User Executive Committee Member, DOE Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2014 to 2017

    Wiley Research Fellow: DOE Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA – 2012 to 2017

    Others

    Chief Editor: Frontiers in Systems Microbiology, Nature Publishing Group – since 2013

    Graduate Groups

    Animal Biology Graduate Group
    Microbiology Graduate Group

    Current Program

    College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences – Professor in Microbiology

    Scientific Interest

    Systems Microbiology & Natural Products

    MSc candidate Itai Brand-Thomas linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    (In progress) Ph.D. candidate Animal Biology (UC Davis)

     

    Current Program:
    Animal Biology Graduate Group

     

    Scientific Interest:
    Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics

    MSc Candidate Rich Duong linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    M.S. Animal Biology (UC Davis; In Progress)

    Scientific Interest:
    Comparative dairy nutrition and rumen microbiome

    Junior Specialist/Lab Manager Katarina Merk linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Degree:
    B.S. Applied Mathematics

    Scientific Interest:
    Bioinformatics

    Project Scientist Saumya Wickramasinghe, PhD, MS BVSc linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Postdoctoral Scholar Katharine Dickson, PhD linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Administrative Assistant/Undergraduate Research Intern Sunny Kee linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Major:
    B.S. Biotechnology
    Scientific Interest:
    Human Epigenetics
    Administrative Assistant/Undergraduate Research Intern Kristin Cho linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Animal Science

    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Christopher Hin linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

    Scientific Interest:
    Microorganisms and their impact on human health, particularly the skin and gut.

    Undergraduate Research Intern Dillon Soekamto linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Major:
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    Specific Interest:
    Molecular Biology
    Undergraduate Research Intern Amy Zhang linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Major:
    Biotechnology
    Scientific Interest:
    Bioinformatics
    Undergraduate Research Intern Kyle De Mariano linkedinLinkedIn Profile
    Major:
    Biotechnology
    Scientific Interest:
    Studying the applications of Biotechnology to improve the environment.
    Undergraduate Research Intern Sania Mir linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    Scientific Interest:
    Pre-med (pediatrician specialization)

    Undergraduate Research Intern Skylar Huang linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Microbiology
    Scientific Interest:
    Microbiology in relation to medicine

    Undergraduate Research Intern Elizabeth Liu linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Animal Biology
    Scientific Interest:
    Rumen microbiome

    Undergraduate Research Intern Amber Wooters linkedinLinkedIn Profile

    Major:
    Animal Science and Management
    Scientific Interest:
    Veterinary medicine (equine rehabilitation specialization)