Verena Link, Ph.D.
Verena is originally from Munich, Germany, and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in computational biology through a joint program at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Technical University of Munich. She completed her Ph.D. through a collaborative program between Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the University of California, San Diego under the mentorship of Dr. Dirk Metzler and Dr. Christopher Glass.
Her doctoral research focused on how environmental and genetic factors shape macrophage function, leading to the discovery of tissue-specific transcription factor programs and novel mechanisms of enhancer regulation. She also developed MMARGE, a computational framework that integrates genetic variation with epigenetic data to assess the impact of mutations on transcription factor binding.
For her postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health in the laboratory of Dr. Yasmine Belkaid, Verena studied how environmental factors influence immune function. Her work included developing an improved mouse model of psoriasis and leading a highly controlled human dietary intervention comparing ketogenic and vegan diets, revealing distinct effects on adaptive and innate immunity.
Outside the lab, Verena enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, exploring California’s outdoors, and traveling.
Alyssa Kowalczyk, B.Sc.
Originally from San Diego, California, Alyssa earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from California State University San Marcos in 2021. She is also pursuing an online Master's degree in environmental sciences, reflecting her broader interest in science and its connections to the environment.
Alyssa began her career in animal science, working at the Scripps Research Institute where she gained experience in animal care and supporting research operations. She later moved to the East Coast and worked as a Veterinary Technician with the NIH, assisting in research operations through lab animal care and management.
After this, she then joined Children’s National Hospital in Washinton, DC as a Research Technician II in the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics Research, where she supported research on urea cycle disorders. Her work included biochemical assays, including HPLC and ammonia testing, PCR genotyping, and biological sample collection and analysis.
Alyssa currently works in Dr. Link’s laboratory, assisting with her research. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, spending time outdoors, and going to the beach.
Kevin Fong, Ph.D.
Kevin is a postdoctoral scholar interested in improving human health by deepening our understanding of the immune system and identifying ways it can be modulated for therapeutic effects. In the Link Lab, he studies how nutrition and the microbiome can affect immune-related diseases like psoriasis.
He completed his Ph.D. in Immunology under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen McSorley at the University of California, Davis. With the goal of informing strategies for vaccine formulation, his doctoral work focused on describing the mechanisms of primary and secondary clearance of bacterial Chlamydia infection by CD4 T cells in the female reproductive tract. This led to the discovery of a critical signaling pathway required for optimal anti-Chlamydial responses.
Prior to his graduate studies, Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of California, San Diego. He also worked in the biotech industry in antibody discovery, where he produced and assessed humanized antibodies from transgenic chickens.
He enjoys running, painting, and reading.
We are excited to recruit curious, motivated wet- and dry-lab scientists at all career stages to join our growing team. If you are passionate about discovering how nutrition, the microbiome, and genetic diversity shape the immune system - or if you are eager to build next-generation multi-omics analysis pipelines - this could be the perfect environment for you. We would love to hear from you! Please send your CV along with a brief description of your research interests to vlink2@health.ucdavis.edu.