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
Amanda carbajal – Ph.D. Candidate
Christina Egami – Ph.D. Student
caison warner – ph.d. student
Adam Koble – undergraduate student
Jacqueline Barragan- Undergraduate student
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
neo peng – undergraduate student
Lab photos & Gatherings