Lab Members

Dr. Chandra Jack is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Clark University. She is a trained evolutionary biologist, receiving her undergraduate, MS and PhD at Rice University. Research in her lab seeks to understand how microbes influence plant fitness, functional traits, and population structure; how genetic variation is maintained through species interactions; and the consequences of these interactions under different environmental conditions.

PhD students

Fatemeh Noori

Fatemeh Noori joined the Jack lab in the fall of 2023.  She is a molecular biologist with a background in bacterial genomics. She earned her master’s degree in plant genetics. Fatemeh’s research is focused on genotyping and characterization of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. She aims to uncover the evolutionary history of these remarkable microbes using a suite of bioinformatic and data analysis tools.

Master’s students

Wiktoria Golemo is Clark ’25 and began working in the Jack lab in the fall of 2023. She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science. Wiktoria’s research focuses on how environmental stress influences plant fitness and the impact the plant microbiome has on mediating these abiotic stressors. Aside from science, Wiktoria is President of the Clark Bee keepers Club. She is also passionate about cooking and baking.

Undergraduate students

Alyssa Briggs is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Fall 2024. She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science.

Hiree Felema is Clark ’27 who joined the Jack lab in Spring 2025. She joined the lab in the spring of 2025, eager to learn about microbiology. Hiree is interested in studying how plants and bacteria interact, focusing on how nodulation can occur in plants when certain bacteria are introduced to form a symbiotic relationship with each other. Outside of the lab, Hiree is a creative person, with hobbies like crochet and sewing. She is involved on campus in groups like Black Student Union and an a capella group. This is Hiree’s first research experience.

John Kennedy is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Spring 2025. They are majoring in biochemistry. John is interested in the processes that keep living beings going, and plants especially are fascinating to them. The Jack lab is the first time that they are working in a lab setting, and they are excited to learn more about the plant-microbe interactions that the lab specializes in. Outside of lab, they enjoy walking in nature, video games, and washing dishes.

Hadley Hoag is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Fall 2024.

Brandy Mercado is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Summer 2025. 

Ryan Saboia is Clark ’26 who joined the lab in Fall 2023. 

Abby Seguin is Clark ’27 who joined the Jack lab in Summer 2025

Abyan Shire is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Spring 2025.

Daniela Yanes is Clark ’26 who joined the Jack lab in Spring 2025.

Lab Alumni