Email: alexhr@umich.edu | Office: 734-615-8491 | Fax: 734-764-3192

Address: 5646 SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109



Michael Hayashi, PhD, MPH

Undergraduate Researcher

Avi is a third-year student at the University of Michigan. He is studying Public Health Sciences and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology as part of the LSA and SPH dual degree program. Avi’s work focuses on measuring bacterial coaggregation through various assays and confocal microscopy.


Clinical Assistant Professor

Michael is a computational epidemiologist and modeler. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology. He received his MPH and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan.


Alexander Rickard, PhD, MSc

Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan

Postdoc: School of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, UK

PhD: Microbiology, University of Manchester, UK

MSc: Applied Genetics, University of Birmingham, UK


Lab Members

Elizabeth Salzman, MS

Research Lab Specialist

Betsy has a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology, an MS in Human Genetics, and feels most comfortable in the lab after 20 years of lab experience. She has been with the Rickard Lab for over ten years, helping students complete their research, keep things afloat, and advance the science of biofilms. Crafting, spending time with her small family, and general shenanigans fill up her free time.

Duane White

Project Coordinator, Research Assistant

Duane is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, earning a B.S. in Public Health Sciences. Duane’s work focuses on multi-species biofilm development in anaerobic conditions and the development of laboratory safety training programs.

Avi Patel

Christopher Qu

Undergraduate Researcher

Chris is a sophomore at the University of Michigan, earning a B.S. in Biology, Health, and Society. Chris’s work focuses on the genetic regulation of biofilm structure and development.

Jillian Fuss, MPH

Aneesa Redissi

Undergraduate Researcher

Aneesa is a senior at the University of Michigan studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Aneesa is currently working on an honors thesis investigating oral biofilm architecture and development mechanisms.

Undergraduate Researcher

Amelia is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan majoring in Biology, Health, and Society. Amelia’s work focuses on biofilm development in dental bacteria in the presence and absence of sucrose.

Research Assistant

Jillian is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan, where she studied Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology and earned her MPH. She is interested in molecular biology, infectious disease epidemiology, and microbiology. At the Rickard lab, she focuses on biostatistical analysis, biofilms, and microbiology.

Amelia Rohim