Research Investigators & Staff

Sean Moore, MD, MS

Professor

Dr. Sean Moore is a physician-scientist with training in pediatrics, gastroenterology, global health, and cell biology. He joined the Department of Pediatrics at UVa in 2016 as Director of Research for the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition.  He became Division Chief in 2020.

Vinicios Alves da Silva PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Vinicios graduated in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Ceara (Brazil) and got his Ph.D from the same institution in conjunction with University of Cincinnati (Ohio). Since then he has been balancing his passion for doing research in academia and his history of working in the medical practice industry, with focus on laboratory diagnosis of diseases. When not hiking or boating, he has been successful in applying his lab knowledge  to improvise new dishes in his kitchen with a low rate of complaints and grimace from his guests

Arabinda Mandal, PhD

Research Scientist

Dr. Arabinda Mandal is a research scientist with training in reproductive molecular biology, cellular biology, and immunology. He joined the UVA Department of Surgery in 2018. His focus of research is to elucidate the crosstalk between the intestinal neurons and intestinal organoids to better understand intestinal failures, inflammatory bowel disease, and short bowel syndromes.

Chioma Moneme, MD, MBA

Surgery Resident

Dr. Chioma Moneme is a third year resident in the Department of General Surgery at the University of Virginia. She received her BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University in 2015 and a dual MD/MBA from the University of Southern California in 2020. She is interested in pursuing a future career as a pediatric surgeon and has joined Moore lab as an NIH T32 postdoctoral research fellow. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, traveling, weight lifting, and reading a good fiction novel!

Deiziane Costa, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Dr. Deiziane Costa, who is mentored by Dr. Sean Moore and Dr. Cirle Warren, is a Research Scientist with training in infectious diseases and neurogastroenterology. She earned her nursing degree (2013), master’s in pharmacology (2016) and PhD in Morphology/Physiology science (2019) from Federal University of Ceará (UFC)/Brazil. Within the Moore lab, she is interested on unraveling the impact of circadian-secreted metabolites by enteroids-on-chip on the host’s susceptibility to Salmonella Typhimurium. She has also been working with the intergeneration model of C. jejuni, as well as other enteropathogenic models. In her another lab (Warren lab), she explores the intricate interactions between enteric glia and the neuro-immune system, specifically examining their contributions to intestinal infections caused by specific pathogens, such as C. difficile. Outside of her professional pursuits, Dr. Costa maintains an active and dynamic lifestyle. She engages in a variety of sports, including tennis, pickleball, soccer, and volleyball. She finds joy in exploring new hiking trails, staying fit through gym workouts, and indulging in the art of silk performance.

Georgia Brousseau

Research Assistant

Georgia Brousseau received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from UVA in May 2023. She began working with the Moore Lab in her fourth year as an undergraduate student, and after graduation has stayed on to continue researching circadian rhythms in intestinal organ-on-a-chip models. In her free time she enjoys relaxing through reading, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Kleybson Sousa, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Kleybson is a Biomedical researcher with training in microbiology, electrophysiology, and cell culture with a focus on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and fungal and bacterial biofilms. Currently, his research focuses on diarrheal diseases, infant malnutrition, and intestinal functional barriers. Outside of the lab, Kleybson enjoys engaging in sports (running, volleyball, tennis, and pickleball), playing his guitar, cooking, and going to the gym.

Lily Cheng, PhD

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Dr. Lily Cheng is a pediatric surgeon-scientist with an interest in the enteric nervous system. She joined the Department of Surgery at UVA in 2023. She is mentored by Dr. Moore and also has her own lab focused on exploring the link between biomechanical force and bowel function. In her free time, she enjoys drinking wine and eating good food.

Casandra Hoffman, PhD

Senior Research Program Manager (TUMI)

Casey received her B.S. in Biology from Juniata College in 2012 and her Ph.D. in Microbiology from UVA in 2017 (supervisor, Hewlett). She worked with Dr. Moore as a postdoc for one year, studying mouse models of undernutrition and circadian rhythms of host biology that influence susceptibility to bacterial toxins using organoid models. She moved to Portland, OR to develop models of host-pathogen interactions in C. elegans in the Aballay Lab at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She moved back to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Jan 2020 to establish and manage the TransUniversity Microbiome Initiative. Casey is actively involved with many of the Moore Lab projects, especially those that involve bacteria. In her free time, you can find her running, climbing up rocks, hiking, growing plants, or curled up with a cup of coffee and a book. It goes without saying that her dog, Gwydion, is always right by her side.

Wendy Williams

Sr. Administrative Assistant/Fellowship Coordinator

Wendy has a 16-year history in Pediatrics and is extremely honored to have served 33 years total at UVA, during which time she has flourished and continues to have a positive impact.  Wendy is a Virginia native; she was actually born at UVA Hospital and feels this is a sign she is meant to be here!  Wendy enjoys quality time with her husband in Lynchburg.

Andrea Marrs, MS

Clinical Research Coordinator

Andrea has recently completed her M.S. in Human Nutrition (with focus in integrative/functional nutrition) from the University of Bridgeport as well as moved from the Winston-Salem, NC area after 12 years to join the Pediatrics GI/Hepatology/Nutrition research division/team. Her prior experience includes 21 years of oncology research experience as a CRC, QA/Education, and more recently as a manager of a program. She grew up in Fluvanna County and got her BS at James Madison University in Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) with a concentration in Biotechnology. She has one son who is finishing up his degree in engineering at UNC Charlotte and enjoys the beach, running outside in scenic areas, and shopping at healthy markets and farmer’s markets as well as loves to cook nutritious and tasty meals.

Maddie Miles

Maddie is a second-year undergraduate student double majoring in biochemistry and Spanish. Also a researcher in the Gahlmann lab, she is interested in using microscopy to study biofilm formation on host-pathogen interfaces. After college, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Aside from her academics, Maddie participates in the Organization of Young Filipino Americans (OYFA) and is passionate about bringing awareness of the Asian community to the UVA student body.

Stone Zhang

Stone is a 4th year pre-medical and biomedical engineering student, who hopes to go into sports medicine or orthopedics after medical school. In his spare time, Stone enjoys soccer, weightlifting, trying new foods, and watching movies/shows with friends. Stone is also involved in the Organization of Young Filipino Americans (OYFA) and enjoys meeting new people.

Nikki Akula

Nikki Akula is a fourth-year biomedical engineering student developing a capstone project with the Moore Lab this year. Nikki also researches anti-biofilm enzymes and studies biofilm formation with the Berger lab, while developing methods of protein purification. After college, she plans to attend medical school. Outside of school, her interests include cooking, reading, and bouldering.

Hamza Ahmed

Hamza is pursuing a B.S. in Bio-Medical Engineering and an M.CS in Computer Science. Academically, he thrives on taking advanced courses in machine learning and biological modeling, reflecting his deep passion for bridging the worlds of biology and technology. Hamza is an undergraduate researcher in the Naegle Lab, where I’ve delved into SH2 domain modeling and kinase enrichment analysis. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu keeps him both grounded and fit, while being a part of UVA’s Bhangra dance team, Virginia Di Shaan, allows him to express his appreciation for culture and creativity. In Hamza’s free time, he is a bit of a food enthusiast and loves to experiment with cooking. His career aspirations are firmly anchored in the healthcare and technology sectors and his is wholeheartedly committed to utilizing his skills and knowledge to contribute to meaningful advancements in medicine and research.

Luke Malanga

Besides his work in the Moore lab, Luke is involved as an undergraduate researcher in the M3 lab at UVA for their R01 Sex-Specific Modeling study, assisting primarily with EMG processing and secondarily with MRI and motion capture data collection and processing. Following graduation, he hopes to earn his master’s degree and then work to make an impact as a biomedical engineer. In his free time, he loves mountain biking, learning philosophy, and volunteering with the youth.

Nebuyu Solomon

Nebiyu Solomon is a fourth-year undergraduate Biomedical Engineering major and Biology minor at the University of Virginia. He holds research interest in cell culture system modeling in mimicking physiological conditions and cellular microenvironments and in stem cell expansion and differentiation. Aside from research, Nebiyu loves playing and watching soccer, and also enjoys listening to audiobooks.

Timilehin Talabi

Tim is a 3rd year pre-medical and kinesiology student, who hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine or physical therapy. Outside of the Moore Lab, Tim is involved as a Inpatient Physical Therapy Assistant at UVA Health, and is a Language Consultant aiding English learners as a part of Volunteers with International Students, Staff, & Scholars (VISAS). In his spare time, Tim enjoys soccer, spending time with friends, weightlifting, and performing track workouts.