Lab Members
The Vargas-Muñiz Lab is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academic workforce. We firmly believe that diversity improves research and education quality, strengthening academia. Each individual unique background contributes a distinct perspective to address complex scientific problems. In agreement with our ideals, we welcome inquiring minds regardless of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, veteran status, military obligation, marital status, and physical, mental, or sensory disability. If you are interested in doing research in the Vargas-Muñiz Lab, don't hesitate to contact Dr. Vargas-Muñiz.
Principal Investigator
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José Vargas-Muñiz (He/His/Él)
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Lab Members
Rebecca Jean Busch (Ph.D. Student)
Rebecca Jean Busch is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Virginia Tech. She is currently working in the Vargas-Muñiz Lab studying mycology/microbiology with a focus on fungal septins. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her certifications include TEFL from ITA Chicago and CPhT (ExCPT) with 5 years of experience.
Rebecca Jean Busch is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Virginia Tech. She is currently working in the Vargas-Muñiz Lab studying mycology/microbiology with a focus on fungal septins. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her certifications include TEFL from ITA Chicago and CPhT (ExCPT) with 5 years of experience.
Mikhaela Ferguson (Ph.D. Student)
Mikhaela Ferguson is a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant at Virginia Tech. She joined the Vargas-Muniz lab in Fall of 2025, and her work focuses on Hortaea werneckii, a halotolerant black yeast. She received her B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Education at Shepherd University in West Virginia.
Mikhaela Ferguson is a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant at Virginia Tech. She joined the Vargas-Muniz lab in Fall of 2025, and her work focuses on Hortaea werneckii, a halotolerant black yeast. She received her B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Education at Shepherd University in West Virginia.
Sofia Renner Andreu (M.Sc. Student)
Sofia is a master's student who joined the Vargas-Muñiz lab at Virginia Tech in the Fall of 2025. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Microbiology at Clemson University. She is currently working on how septins contribute to fungal host-pathogen interactions, specifically focusing on Aspergillus fumigatus.
Sofia is a master's student who joined the Vargas-Muñiz lab at Virginia Tech in the Fall of 2025. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Microbiology at Clemson University. She is currently working on how septins contribute to fungal host-pathogen interactions, specifically focusing on Aspergillus fumigatus.
Tatiana Boluarte (Lab Manager)
Tatiana joined the Vargas-Muñiz Lab in the Spring of 2024. She currently assists the lab with cloning projects and strain maintenance and oversees the Chemical and Biological safety aspects of the lab.
Tatiana joined the Vargas-Muñiz Lab in the Spring of 2024. She currently assists the lab with cloning projects and strain maintenance and oversees the Chemical and Biological safety aspects of the lab.
Aidan Marshall (Lab Tech)
Aidan started as a laboratory technician for the Vargas-Muñiz lab at Virginia Tech in late February 2024. He is from Florida, where he received his BS from Florida Southern College in Environmental Studies. He is passionate about fungal diversity, systematics, and species conservation. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, foraging, climbing, and nature photography.
Aidan started as a laboratory technician for the Vargas-Muñiz lab at Virginia Tech in late February 2024. He is from Florida, where he received his BS from Florida Southern College in Environmental Studies. He is passionate about fungal diversity, systematics, and species conservation. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, foraging, climbing, and nature photography.
Trevor Wilson (Undergraduate Student)
TBD
TBD
Join us!
For Postdoctoral Positions: At this moment we are not recruiting any postdoctoral scholar. Future opportunities will be posted here. Nonetheless, if you are interested in being a postdoctoral scholar we encourage you to email Dr. Vargas-Muñiz to express your interest and discuss possibilities if research interest aligns.
Graduate Students Positions: If you are interested in doing your graduate work, you will need to apply to at least one of the following Graduate Programs:
Biological Sciences: https://www.biol.vt.edu/Graduates.html *
Infectious Diseases: https://infectiousdisease.fralinlifesci.vt.edu/igep1/education-program.html
Molecualr and Cell Biology: https://www.mcb.vt.edu/
Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology: https://gbcb.graduateschool.vt.edu/
*Although the Biological Sciences programs allow for direct admission, our lab only recruits students from this program who participate in rotations. No direct admission applications will be considered for the lab.
Feel free to mention Dr. Vargas-Muñiz on your application as one of the Faculty you are interested in working with. We are not considering applications outside of the applicant pool of these programs (i.e., applications sent to Dr. Vargas-Muñiz email). Please apply to at least one of the above graduate programs to be considered for admission. If you don't know which would be a good fit, please contact Dr. Vargas-Muñiz; he can advise which would be a better fit.
Undergraduate Students: If you want to do an undergraduate research project with us, please contact Dr. Vargas-Muñiz.
Other Opportunities to work with us:
Staff Scientist: We are not currently recruiting staff scientists in our lab. We will post it here if any position opens up.
For Postdoctoral Positions: At this moment we are not recruiting any postdoctoral scholar. Future opportunities will be posted here. Nonetheless, if you are interested in being a postdoctoral scholar we encourage you to email Dr. Vargas-Muñiz to express your interest and discuss possibilities if research interest aligns.
Graduate Students Positions: If you are interested in doing your graduate work, you will need to apply to at least one of the following Graduate Programs:
Biological Sciences: https://www.biol.vt.edu/Graduates.html *
Infectious Diseases: https://infectiousdisease.fralinlifesci.vt.edu/igep1/education-program.html
Molecualr and Cell Biology: https://www.mcb.vt.edu/
Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology: https://gbcb.graduateschool.vt.edu/
*Although the Biological Sciences programs allow for direct admission, our lab only recruits students from this program who participate in rotations. No direct admission applications will be considered for the lab.
Feel free to mention Dr. Vargas-Muñiz on your application as one of the Faculty you are interested in working with. We are not considering applications outside of the applicant pool of these programs (i.e., applications sent to Dr. Vargas-Muñiz email). Please apply to at least one of the above graduate programs to be considered for admission. If you don't know which would be a good fit, please contact Dr. Vargas-Muñiz; he can advise which would be a better fit.
Undergraduate Students: If you want to do an undergraduate research project with us, please contact Dr. Vargas-Muñiz.
Other Opportunities to work with us:
Staff Scientist: We are not currently recruiting staff scientists in our lab. We will post it here if any position opens up.
Former Lab Members
Emma Esposito (Undergraduate, Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
Joseph Barreiro (Undergraduate, Summer 2024-Spring 2025)
Zoe Johnson (Undergraduate, Summer 2024-Summer 2025)
Makenzie Bullard (M.Sc., Fall 2022-Spring 2024)
Carson Doty (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Wyatt Boyer (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Stephanie Anthonies (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Morgan Burmeister (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Fall 2022)
Alban Sinani (Undergraduate, Fall 2021)
Sarah Lukavsky (Undergraduate, Spring 2021)
Joseph Barreiro (Undergraduate, Summer 2024-Spring 2025)
Zoe Johnson (Undergraduate, Summer 2024-Summer 2025)
Makenzie Bullard (M.Sc., Fall 2022-Spring 2024)
Carson Doty (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Wyatt Boyer (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Stephanie Anthonies (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Morgan Burmeister (Undergraduate, Fall 2021-Fall 2022)
Alban Sinani (Undergraduate, Fall 2021)
Sarah Lukavsky (Undergraduate, Spring 2021)
