About Me


I am a Microbiologist and Mycologist, fascinated with all things micro and fungi.

I completed my Ph.D. in Microbiology, under the guidance of Professor Jason Stajich's Lab.

Tania’s research has been primarily focused on studying and understanding complex microorganisms called black yeasts. Black yeasts have been found on almost every surface including: common locations such as: buildings, dish washers and marble statues to the most extreme environments, such as: within porous rocks in the Antarctic, on the walls of the Chernobyl reactor, in hyper saline environments and even in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Tania has been isolating these enigmatic yeasts from a variety of different environments, specifically features called biological soil crusts. Desert Biological soil crusts or biocrusts are a complex association of multiple different microorganisms working together to survive the extremes of the desert. Tania is interested in what black yeast functional roles are in these complex associations and if they provide a sunscreen protection to the rest of the feature due to their high melanin content. Tania has also isolated black yeasts from the patina of rock surfaces and from tar soaked soils collected from the La Brea Tar Pits. She hopes to bring more attention to the potential of these yeasts, especially as model organisms to study extremotolerance to high heat, desiccation and high UV.

Education

Ph.D.

  • 2022
  • University of California, Riverside
  • Position: ​Graduate Student advised by Dr. Jason Stajich
  • Activities: ​Research focused on studying Micro-Colonial Fungi (MCFs) isolated from Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs). Conduct laboratory research in the areas of single nucleotide polymorphisms, genome sequencing and metagenomics. This involves data collection, DNA isolation, analysis and interpretation of results, including next generation sequencing data and bioinformatics analysis.
  • Organization involvement - AWIS leadership for 5 years. (https://awisucr.wixsite.com/awisucr) - Mycological Society of America - Student and PostDoc Section, Social media coordinator, Vice-Chair, Chair.

  • Non-Profit - International Congress of Armenian Mycologists (ICAM) conceptualized in November 2020.

    • ICAM is dedicated to connect with Armenian mycologists to observe environmental effects on microbial diversity but also looking into remediation efforts using fungal mycelium. Tania is committed to continuing this organization to strengthen the academic ties to Armenia and to provide Armenian students the opportunity to conduct research in American facilities while bringing their research to the international scientific community.

 

Education

M.Sc. in Biology

  • 2016
  • California State University, Northridge
  • Worked with a soil inhabiting microorganism (Sporosarcina ureae). 50 strains were isolated from all over the world through prior efforts by Bernadine Pregerson. My work focused on taking these strains running Biolog to understand and confirm the metabolic testing done, and 16S ribosomal RNA typing was done to observe if spacial isolations provided any patterns to their phylogeny.
  • Advisor: Dr. Larry Baresi

 

Education

Bachelor's in Microbiology

  • 2013
  • Experience in working with methanogens (anaerobic archaea Methanobrevibacter smithii) and infecting with a phage Phage G.
  • California State University, Northdidge
  • Advisor: Dr. Larry Baresi
  • Outreach, President of MSA - Microbiology Students’ Association
  • Co-Founder - Graduate Student Leadership Council

 

Experiences

DEI Statement

  • 2022
  • Tania has been committed to working with many different campus organizations during her Ph.D. program here at UC Riverside. Her first three years in Microbiology-GSA she helped prepare the recruitment experience for incoming Microbiology potential graduate students along with other social events to bring in a sense of community for the Microbiology graduate experience.
  • Her second involvement started at the end of her first year up until now with her involvement with the local Riverside chapter of AWIS (Association of Women in Science). From then on she has been committed to working with the organization and has led it for the last two years as the president. Through this organization AWIS UCR introduced different initiatives to promote the Inland Empire. AWIS UCR has served multiple women-led panels, workshops, wellness check-ins, challenges and dinners to support and foster a community of accomplished women to become better connected with the community but also to advance in job placement.
  • Tania was Chair for the Mycological Society of America, Student and PostDocs section (2022). She collaborated and coordinated with mycologists from all over the US to create mycology content to be shared with the student and post doc body of the MSA organization. As Vice Chair she started to produce the monthly Students’ Mycology Colloquium, where she features two student mycologists and their work. This was an important contribution as (2020-2021) the pandemic was still in full motion, and thus had graduate student researchers at a disadvantage without a proper opportunity to share their scientific contributions. These presentations are recorded and then posted on Twitter and Facebook for the general public. As Chair, she coordinated and delegated different virtual events to better involve the student body of MSA.
  • And finally Tania recently started a non-profit organization with 3 Armenian mycologists in November 2020 after 2020 Artsakh War halted between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The non-profit is called ICAM - or the International Congress of Armenian Mycologists. ICAM is dedicated to connect with Armenian mycologists to observe environmental effects on microbial diversity but also looking into remediation efforts using fungal mycelium. Tania is committed to continuing this organization to strengthen the academic ties to Armenia and to provide Armenian students the opportunity to conduct research in American facilities while bringing their research to the international scientific community.
  • Tania has also had the distinct pleasure of mentoring two POC undergraduate women in supporting them with resources (public health and graduate school applications) and opportunities. Along with being involved with UC Riverside’s Graduate Student Mentorship Program she has provided mentorship to 7 first year graduate students in different graduate programs including: Computer Science, Mathematics and Microbiology.
  • Tania finds fulfillment in guiding and helping other students with difficulties they may be experiencing during their graduate program.

 

Experiences

Graduate Student Researcher

  • 2016
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratories
  • Conducted sterility testing and microbial load of high heat resistent epoxies utilized on prior and future space mission rovers.