Student Members

Any individual currently enrolled in a degree-conferring training program at the University of Arizona.

VFCE Student

Graduate Researcher

During my time with the Valley Fever Center, I completed an internship in the BSL-3 Laboratory working with Lourdes Lewis culturing and harvesting different strains of Coccidioides. I was also given the opportunity to learn about current projects that help us understand the immunological effects of Valley fever. 


Student Office Assistant

I have been helping the VFCE as a student office assistant since 2020. I maintain our website and social media pages and work with other organizations to spread awareness of Valley fever.


Undergraduate Researcher

During my experience as an ASEMS STARS undergraduate research scholar working with Dr. Buntzman, I have been learning about the mechanisms of infection and therapeutics of Valley fever. My research has highlighted therapeutics and testing of Valley fever. 


Graduate Researcher

I am a graduate student in the Tomasiak Lab in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at the University of Arizona. I work on determining the function of a gene in the fungus that causes Valley fever.  I use structural techniques such as cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM) and biochemical assays to uncover the activity of the virulence factor, Cps1.