Manel camps – Professor in microbiology & environmental toxicology
I grew up in Catalonia, and am a veterinarian by training. I completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology in Dr. John Boothroyd’s laboratory at Stanford University and a postdoc in Dr. Larry Loeb’s laboratory at the University of Washington. In 2007, I joined the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, where I established a research laboratory that focuses on the study of molecular mechanisms of evolution, with a focus on plasmids and mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics and to alkylating agents.
The main undergraduate classes that I teach are Human Anatomy (METX135), Human Anatomy Lab (METX135L) and Human Cadaver Dissection (METX135C), Physiology of Disease (METX41). I also co-teach the following graduate classes: Advanced Prokaryotic Biology (METX206), Molecular Pathogenesis (METX238), and Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance (METX215). For more information about these classes please see UCSC’s General Catalog.
Since 2014, I have also been serving as Provost of Crown College, one of the 10 colleges at UCSC, and since 2021, serving as Faculty Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development CIED. Through these two administrative leadership positions, I strive to foster high quality education based on promoting transferable skills and on connecting the work we do in academia with the needs of our community. For more information about Crown’s academic program please see Crown College Academics, and for more information about CIED, please visit CIED’s webpage.
Hobbies: In my free time I like to hike and to do mountain biking. I also enjoy linguistics and history.
Lab Members
Diego Montenegro, ph.d. – research associate
Diego obtained his B.S. in Biology at the Universidad del Magdalena, Colombia and his Ph.D. in Tropical Medicine from Instituto Oswaldo Cruz / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil. His main area of interest is surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases (Dengue, Malaria, ChagasDiseases, Rickettsiosis, etc.). He has experience leading projects for both local and international organizations and he is working toward integrating community intelligence and artificial intelligence to address public health and environmental problems. Diego enjoys cooking, hiking, and discovering new beaches.
Vincent Blay, ph.d. – research associate
Vincent obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Valencia, Spain, developing catalysts for chemical processes. He has conducted research at multiple institutions, including UC San Francisco, investigating biomineralization and renal pathologies, and Berkeley National Lab, creating computational tools for synthetic biology. His interests include artificial intelligence, the design of molecules and therapeutics, and the combination of modeling and wet-lab experiments. Vincent enjoys hiking and traveling to new places.
gerardo cortés cortés, ph.d. – postdoctoral researcher
Gerardo obtained his PhD in Microbiology from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico where he investigated the genetic structure of antibiotic-resistant strains of Escherichia coli isolates from different hosts. Gerardo joined the Camps Lab as a post-doctoral fellow in 2017 for two years and he resumed this position in 2021, and is currently investigating horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. He was awarded a UC-MEXUS- Post-doctoral Fellowship and mentored students in the GAIN program. Outside of the lab, Gerardo enjoys cooking and reading motivational books.
Amanda carbajal – Ph.D. Candidate
Amanda is a PhD Candidate in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology track of the Program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Graduate Program at UC Santa Cruz. Amanda is investigating the genetic mechanisms driving antibiotic resistance in clinical E. coli, specifically with regards to the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics. Prior to her PhD, Amanda obtained a master’s degree studying novel neuroactive drug discovery using zebrafish as an animal model, and worked at NASA elucidating the processes that came together for life to evolve.
Christina Egami – Ph.D. Student
Christina completed her B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is now continuing her academic journey as a PhD student in the Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology department. Christina is currently investigating the mechanisms regulating ColE1 plasmid segregation to further understand the spread of plasmids, which are extrachromosomal DNA that encode antibiotic resistance, heavy metal resistance or virulence factors.
caison warner – ph.d. student
Caison obtained his B.S. in Neuroscience at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is now a Ph.D. student in the Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology department at UCSC. Caison is investigating the functional genomic landscape of Toxin-Antitoxin systems in E. coli through a process of both bioinformatics and biomolecular engineering.
Adam Koble – undergraduate student
Adam is an undergraduate student researcher working under PhD candidate Amanda Carbajal studying the genetic mutations that allow for antibiotic resistance in E. coli. He is a third-year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology student with plans of working as a microbiologist in a clinical laboratory. On his time off he enjoys music, photography, hiking, and fencing for UCSC.
Jacqueline Barragan- Undergraduate student
Jacqueline is an undergraduate student researcher working under PhD candidate Amanda Carbajal studying the genetic mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in clinical E. coli against the fluoroquinolone class drug. She is a first generation, fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology. She plans to pursue a PhD in Microbiology and contribute to research that aids in environmental and medical applications of microbiology. On her time off she enjoys running, drawing and spending time with her family and friends.
Monica Rodriguez-Vazquez- Undergraduate student
Monica is an undergraduate student researcher working under PhD candidate Amanda Carbajal studying the unknown genetic mutations that lead to antibiotic resistance against fluoroquinolone in clinical E. coli that cause untreatable urinary tract infections. She is a first generation, fourth-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology. She plans to continue her education in the forensic sciences and hopes to contribute to research that aids in solving cold crime cases. In her free time she enjoys painting, going on walks by the beach, and watching true crime stories.
Nitya Jain- Undergraduate student
Nitya is a double major in BME: Bioinformatics and Philosophy with a minor in Computer Science. Nitya is working with PhD student, Caison Warner, on applying bioinformatic methods to Toxin-Antitoxin Systems research. Currently, her research project is creating a web interface to scan a given genome for all types of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems, as current tools only scan for specific types of systems. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, explore new hiking spots, and find fun coffee spots.
neo peng – undergraduate student
Neo is an undergraduate student researcher in the Camps Lab working under postdoctoral researcher Gerardo Cortés. He is a third-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics. On his time off, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and finding new boba shops.
Lab photos & Gatherings
