Robert Shields - Assistant Professor

I earned my PhD in Microbiology at Newcastle University (United Kingdom) in Nick Jakubovics lab, where I worked on extracellular DNA in microbial biofilms, and potential control of biofilms with eDNA-degrading enzymes. In August 2014 I moved to the USA where I worked in the lab of Bob Burne (University of Florida) on cell-cell communication and regulation of gene expression in Streptococcus mutans. I was hired as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at UF in July 2017 and moved to Arkansas State to start my own lab in August 2021. After four successful years at A-State I moved my research program back to UF.

Graduate Students

Bikash Kumar Dwivedi - PhD Biomedical Sciences

I have completed my undergraduate in Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal. I developed this particular interest and passion to work on bacteria during my undergraduate studies. I worked on a project related to antibiotic resistance. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Biomedical Sciences in Dr. Shields laboratory. I will be working on TnSmu1, an ICE that has been discovered in Streptococcus mutans. I like watching sports, mainly cricket in my free time and newly released movies/series.

Karen Solano - M.S. Biology

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biotechnology from the A-State campus in Queretaro, Mexico, in 2023. In spring 2023, I joined the Shields Lab as an undergraduate student while participating in an exchange program. In the spring of 2024, I started my Master’s in Biology with research focused on the construction and sequencing of an arrayed Tn library as a resource for the S. mutans community. After graduating in December 2025, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology.

Alumni

Tiffany Haydt - Research Technician (Summer 2025) - East Asian Studies UNC-Chapel Hill
Sangam Chudal - B.S. Biotechnology (Summer 2025)
Courtney Dover (Summer 2025) - M.S. Biology - Food Safety Microbiologist at Boar’s Head
Emanuel Cazano - B.S. Biology (Fall 2024) - M.D. Student at UAMS
Erica Lee - D.O. NYIT-COM @ A=State (Summer 2025)
Tessa Holcomb (Summer 2024) - B.S. Biology
Adrionna Dollison (Summer 2024) - Jonesboro High School
Emilio Soriano Chavez (Spring 2024) - B.S. Biotechnology
Andrew Goode (Spring 2024) - B.S. Biology - D.O. Student at NYIT-COM @ A=State
Jayson Smith (Summer 2023) - Nettleton High School
Erin Pruitt (Spring 2023) - B.S. Biology
Seth Woods (Fall 2022) - B.S. Biology
Allison Quick (Spring 2022) - B.S. Biology
Makenzie Rone (Spring 2022) - B.S. Biology
Bryant Reed (Spring 2022) - B.S. Biotechnology
Jackson St. Pierre (Fall 2021) - B.S. Biology - D.O. Student at NYIT-COM @ A=State
Shawn King (Fall 2021) - B.S. Biology - Research Technician Schmid Lab A-State
Kalee King (Fall 2021) - B.S. Biology