People

Tajie Harris
Associate Professor | Principal Investigator

Dr. Harris has spent her scientific career studying parasitic pathogens that infect the central nervous system. As a graduate student, she studied the innate immune response to Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis. During her postdoctoral training, Tajie began studying the adaptive immune response to Toxoplasma gondii. During this time, she began using several microscopy techniques, including multi-photon microscopy to understand how T cells responses are coordinated in real time within the brain. At the University of Virginia, Tajie is the director of the Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG) and co-director of the BIG Training Grant. Tajie enjoys traveling, cooking with locally grown produce, and being outdoors with her dogs Hank and Jaxson.

Bemidji State University, B.S. Biology, 2002
University of Wisconsin, PhD Microbiology, 2007
University of Pennsylvania, postdoctoral training 2013

Isaac Babcock
Isaac Babcock is a 5th year Neuroscience PhD student studying macrophage inflammatory cell death. Before joining the Harris lab Isaac received his masters in biochemistry and bachelors in neuroscience from Colorado State University under the advisement of Dr. James Bamburg. Outside of the lab Isaac enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, and growing spicy peppers.

Abbe Kelly
Abbe is a second year PhD student born and raised in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Colgate University and worked at a lab in Boston studying the resolution of inflammation before coming to UVA in 2023. In the lab, she is interested in understanding how TNF helps confer immune protection in the CNS and beyond. Outside of the lab, Abbe enjoys cooking, reading, running, and trying every restaurant in Charlottesville. She spends most of her time trying new recipes for her food blog and doting on her orange tabby, Linguine.

Sydney Labuzan
A born and raised Floridian, Sydney completed her Bachelor in Biology at Rollins College in 2016 followed by a Masters degree in Biology in 2019 from the University of North Florida, working in the lab of Dr. David Waddell. After graduating in 2019, Sydney pivoted research interests, working for 2 years as a Special Projects Associate II at the Mayo Clinic Florida in the lab of Dr. Melissa Murray, using digital pathology techniques to investigate the heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease in human patients. Her growing interest in glial cells and neuroinflammation led her to matriculate into University of Virginia’s Neuroscience Graduate Program in 2021 and join the Harris lab. In the lab, Sydney’s interests focus on the role of CNS-resident antigen presentation during infection, and in her down-time she enjoys reading, frequenting local coffee shops, and hanging out with her dog Luna.

Annie Marchildon
Annie received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where she developed a strong interest in neuroscience and immunology. As a lifelong New Yorker, she worked at NYU Langone post-grad exploring the transcriptomic profile of astrocytes in development and injury. Annie joined the Harris lab in 2025 to explore how glial cells coordinate immune responses in the brain during chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, baking, and exploring the vineyards near Charlottesville.

Lydia Sibley
Lydia completed her BS in Neuroscience from Brown University then went on to work as a research assistant at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. She joined the UVA NGP in 2020 and her graduate research focuses on caspase-8-mediated cell death during chronic T. gondii infection. Outside of the lab she enjoys cooking/baking, hiking, and reading.

Anne Schuster
Anne Schuster is an undergraduate student from Fort Worth, Texas, currently entering her fourth year at the University of Virginia. She has been a member of the Harris Lab for two years, where she works alongside Sydney on projects focused on antigen presentation in the central nervous system during Toxoplasma gondii infection. Anne is majoring in neuroscience and Spanish, with aspirations to pursue a career in infectious disease. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, cooking, and traveling.

Samantha Batista
Graduate Student | Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Program

I received my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Vassar College in 2015. I have always been interested in infectious disease, particularly how pathogens interact with the host immune system. The Harris lab provides an opportunity to work at this interface as it applies to the fast-growing field of neuroimmunology. I am currently investigating the role of alarmins in chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, photography, and yoga.

Kingston High School, 2011
Vassar College, B.A. Biochemistry, 2015

Katherine Still
Graduate Student | Neuroscience Graduate Program

I received my undergraduate degree in Biology from James Madison University in 2012. Eager to explore my post-baccalaureate options, I worked for a year as a technician in a biotechnology lab and for two as a fellow in the National Cancer Institute. Ultimately, clinical volunteering and literature led me to neuroimmunology and a sense of urgency in applying to graduate school. I am specifically interested in immune cell recruitment to the brain T. gondii infection. Outside of the lab I enjoy backpacking, triathlon training, yoga, and reading.

Paul VI High School, 2008
James Madison University, B.S. Biology, 2012

Michael Kovacs
Graduate Student | Medical Scientist Training Program

I entered the MSTP program at UVA in 2016 after working for two years in a cancer genetics lab as a post-bac research trainee at the National Cancer Institute. I spent my time there trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the association between common human genomic variants and susceptibility to melanoma. Since starting my graduate studies, my interests have shifted to exploring the role of the immune system in neurologic disease. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, running, and spending time outdoors.

Washington University in St. Louis, B.A. English, 2013
Columbia University, M.A. English Education, 2014

Maureen Cowan
Graduate Student | Neuroscience Graduate Program

I received my undergraduate degree from UVA with a double major in Psychology and Biology. Prior to joining the Harris lab, I worked in behavioral and systems-level neuroscience laboratories. I was initially interested in studying microglia under the lens of neurodevelopment, and later became drawn to understanding their role in immunity. In the Harris lab, I am currently investigating the role of microglial STAT1 signaling in conferring resistance to Toxoplasma gondii. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, painting, and spending time with my Chihuahua, Kiwi.

Battlefield High School, 2011
University of Virginia, B.A. Psychology & Biology, 2015

Anjana J Gevaria
Lab Specialist

I graduated with masters from Georgetown University. After graduation, I worked as lab specialist in the division of Nephrology at UVA studying the immune response to autoimmune disease model of nephritis. In Harris lab, I investigated the role of CNS resident cells during Toxoplasma gondii. Outside of lab, I enjoy painting, cooking, reading, binge watching TV shows, and napping.

Georgetown University, Masters of Science 2009

Natalie Newton
Undergraduate Student

I began research in the Harris Lab during my third year. Under Jeremy’s guidance, I worked on studying the immune response to Toxoplasma gondii. Outside of lab, I love hiking, listening to music, cooking, and spending time outdoors!

Carleigh O’Brien
Graduate Student | Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Program

I got a bachelor’s degree in Biology and French from DePauw University in 2013. As an undergrad, I did research in a neuroscience lab, but immunology was always my primary interest, and I joined the BIG (Brain Immunology and Glia) center to get the best of both worlds. My project in the lab focuses on characterizing the phenotype and behavior of regulatory T cells in the brain during Toxoplasma gondii infection. Outside of the lab, I enjoy ballet, volleyball, and watching horror movies.

Cathedral High School, 2009
DePauw University, B.A. Biology and French, 2013