Current People

Matthew Cabeen, PhD | Principal Investigator

Associate Professor

Office: 416 LSE | Lab: 419 LSE | Tel 405-744-6652

Stillwater OK 74078

Matt Cabeen cheers the rest of the lab on and supervises things. He teaches Introductory Microbiology (MICR 2123) and Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance (MICR 4423/5423). He wishes he had more time to work at the bench in the lab but is thankful for a great crew who gets things done!

Yashi Batra

PhD Student

419 LSE Stillwater OK 74078

yashi.batra10@okstate.edu

Yashi Batra, hailing from India with a Master's in Medical Microbiology, joined Cabeen Lab in November 2023. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University, Yashi delves into decoding citrate uptake and utilization in P. aeruginosa. With a Junior Research Fellow background and a commitment to scientific exploration, she's carving her path in microbiological research.

Niloy Kumar Das

PhD Student

419 LSE Stillwater OK 74078

niloy.das@okstate.edu

Niloy is a Ph.D. student from Bangladesh who arrived at OSU in Fall 2022. He joined Cabeen Lab in early December 2022 and started his experiments in the following month. Niloy is studying the stress-sensing nanomachine of Bacillus subtilis—called stressosome—more specifically: Analyzing RsbT kinase protein’s ability to sense stress and modulate the signaling to activate the alternative σ^Bthrough molecular biology, advanced microscopic and microfluidic techniques.

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Autumn Hansen

PhD Student

419 LSE Stillwater OK 74078
autumn.hansen@okstate.edu

Autumn graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from OSU in May 2022 after a long and successful career in the US Army. She fell in love with microbiology research and is now a PhD student in the lab. She has served as the Cabeen lab manager since Fall 2021.

Jesna Varghese

PhD Student

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

I was born and raised in Kolkata, India and am the eldest daughter in my family. I graduated from Scottish Church College, affiliated under University of Calcutta in 2015 with a B.S in Microbiology. I continued my education and earned a M.S degree in Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, affiliated under the University of Calcutta in 2017. After working for 2 years as a Junior Research Fellow at the North-Eastern Hill University, I decided to pursue my Doctoral Degree at Oklahoma State University.

Glendon Barnes

Undergraduate researcher

Aiden Bucher

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

aiden.bucher@okstate.edu

Aiden is from Elgin, Oklahoma, and joined the lab in Fall 2025. He is currently studying the stressosome of Bacillus subtilis under the mentorship of Ph.D. student Niloy Kumar Das. Aiden is double majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology and plans to graduate in Spring 2027.

Casey Cruzan

Lab technician

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

ccruzan@okstate.edu

Casey joined the lab in Fall 2021. An engineering major who also likes biology, Casey has served as our lab technician while also soaking up quite a lot of information about biology!

Lily Eckert

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

lily.eckert@okstate.edu

My name is Lily Eckert and I am from Carrier, Oklahoma. I am majoring in both Physiology and Spanish, and I hope to attend the Oklahoma State College of Medicine to pursue my degree as a doctor of osteopathic medicine. I am working on studying factors that impact the light output of luciferase enzymes in bacteria.

Jake Eschler

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

jake.eschler@okstate.edu

Jake Eschler is a Junior Microbiology pre-health student from Lawton, Ok. He recently joined the Cabeen lab starting in 2024 and is working under PhD student Yashi Batra studying citrate uptake in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Camryn Garoutte

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

camgaro@okstate.edu

I’m from Edmond, Oklahoma, and I’m majoring in Biology with a Pre-Med focus and a minor in Psychology at Oklahoma State University. I hope to attend medical school, and my research in the lab with Olivia looks at how PtsN regulates the T3SS system, the mechanism of growth impairment in ptsN-deleted cells, phosphotransfer in the Nitro-PTS, and proteins that interact with PtsN.

Cole Grayson

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

cole.grayson@okstate.edu

Cole Grayson is a student from Edmond, Oklahoma, majoring in Biology and Physiology with aspirations of attending medical school and becoming a physician. He is currently conducting research under PhD student Niloy, assisting with projects on the mechanisms of stressosome-independent stress response, substrates of RsbT, transcriptional feedback on RsbT, and in vivo dynamics of stressosome components in Bacillus subtilis. His individual project focuses on HaloTagging the RsbT and RsbRA proteins.

Samantha Hilt

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

samantha.hilt@okstate.edu

Samantha Hilt is a student from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, double majoring in Biology and Microbiology with an expected graduation in Fall 2025. She is preparing to go to medical school with aspirations of becoming a surgeon. Currently, she is involved in a research project focused on mutational analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, working alongside PhD student Yashi Batra and undergraduate student Jake Eschler.

Gage Keesee

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

gage.keesee@okstate.edu

Gage is from Holdenville, Oklahoma, majoring in Pre-Med Animal Science with an expected graduation of Spring 2027. He joined the Cabeen Lab in Fall 2025 and is studying the stressosome of Bacillus subtilis.

Olivia Morgan

Undergraduate researcher

Abigail Szczesny

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

abigail.szczesny@okstate.edu

Abigail Szczesny is a McKnight Scholar from Aubrey, Texas, pursuing a B.S. in Biology (Pre-Med) with an expected graduation in Spring 2027. She joined the Cabeen Lab in Spring 2025 and is currently investigating how various osmolytes influence the σB stress response in Bacillus subtilis alongside AnaLisa Rodriguez and Abbey Hays. After graduation, Abigail plans to attend dental school to pursue a career in dentistry.

Hunter Vaughn

Undergraduate researcher

419 LSE

Stillwater OK 74078

hunvaug@okstate.edu

I'm from Paris, Texas, and I've always had a big interest in medicine and helping others through science. I'm currently an undergraduate student at Oklahoma State University, where I also serve as a member of the track and field team. I thoroughly enjoy thinking outside the box and expanding my knowledge in areas where | lack expertise. I am very excited to work with new people and work on projects that could make a difference in science.

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Current People

Matthew Cabeen, PhD | Principal Investigator

Yashi Batra

Niloy Kumar Das

Autumn Hansen

Jesna Varghese

Glendon Barnes

Aiden Bucher

Casey Cruzan

Lily Eckert

Jake Eschler

Abigail Szczesny

Hunter Vaughn