Our People

a smiling woman holding the hand of a toddler, both in winter coats standing near a frozen pondClaire O’Leary, PhD
Principal Investigator

Claire did her undergrad at UW Madison, where she first discovered a love for immunology and bench research. She completed her graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania in the lab of Dr. Paula Oliver where she studied how post translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin impacts T cell activation and effector function. Hopping to the other coast, Claire did her postdoctoral work at UCSF in with Dr. Rich Locksley, where she studied tuft cells and tissue immunity. She started her lab in 2022 at UW Madison in the Department of Pediatrics. When not thinking about tuft cells, microbes, and the gallbladder, Claire can be found enjoying coffee, donuts, or snobby craft beer, and wrangling her toddler.

a smiling, bald, white man wearing a University of Wisconsin T-shirt sitting in a stadiumPaul Kuehnert, MS
Graduate Student, CMP Program

Paul joined the O’Leary lab in fall of 2022. A perpetual non-traditional student with a current interest in interactions between microbiome constituents, epithelium, and the immune system he is coming around to the idea that he just likes problem-solving and learning new things. Paul spends free time exercising, reading, and undertaking the Sisyphean task of remodeling a house.

a portrait of a smiling white woman against a green backgroundMichelle Greenfield, BS
Research Technician and Lab Manager

Michelle joined the O’Leary lab in January of 2023, fresh off completing her undergrad at UW-La Crosse. Michelle previously worked as an EMT, and plans to pursue a career in medicine. She is an active member of the National Guard.

a smiling white woman wearing a lavender top. She is standing on a frozen lake, with several other people and the sunset behind her.Maggie Brown
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Maggie is a UW-Madison Sophomore from Hudson, WI and is majoring in Nutritional Sciences with plans of attending dental school. In her free time, Maggie enjoys hiking, crocheting, and playing the piano and guitar.