Members

Become a member of our team!

We welcome postdocs, graduate students, undergraduate students, volunteers, and more! 

 

Houston Lab Picture

 
Current and former group members pictured: top row, left to right: Alex Lazo-Loya, Dr. Kevin D. Houston, Dr. Richard McDonald, Davor Beltran, Luke Sury, Sam Orozco, bottom row: Paulina Castruita, Fernanda Caldora, Dr. Jessica P. Houston, Jeremiah Young, and Samantha Valentino
(Photograph taken December, 2025)

 

Jessica P. Houston

Jessica P. Houston, Ph.D, Principal Investigator, NMSU Cytometry and Biophotonics Lab
  Luke B. Shires Endowed Professor, Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University
President (2023-2026), The International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry
Scholar (2015-2019), The International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry
Associate Editor, Cytometry Part A
Faculty Fulbright Scholar, Sao Paulo University, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2023-2024)
Faculty Fulbright Scholar, Saitama University, Saitama-shi, Japan (2018-2019)
Google Scholar Page
 

Postdoctoral Fellows

Hassan Pouraria, Ph.D.

 

Laboratory Assistant

 

TBD

 

Graduate Students

 

Samantha_Valentino.jpg

Samantha Valentino, Ph.D. Graduate Student

Diana Bautista Tovar, Ph.D. Graduate Student

Davor Beltran, Ph.D. Graduate Student

Nico Daviet, M.S. Graduate Student

Lina Khiyara, M.S. Graduate Student

Luke Sury, M.S. Graduate Student

  

Undergraduate Students

Ashley Pham

Pierce Leachman

 

  

                                                     

Former Personnel and Group Archive Pictures
Spring 2021
20210830_132003.jpg
 
Fall 2020
Group2020.png
Spring 2019
Spring 2019 Group Photo
Spring 2018
Spring 2016
IMG_5001
Fall 2015
Houston_Lab_group_2015
Fall 2014
we
 
Fall 2012
SAMSUNG
Fall 2011
DSCN0799
Spring 2011
DSC_0802
Fall 2010
DSC00882
Summer 2010
DSC00599
Fall 2009 and Spring 2010
LabGroup

 

Past Members of the Houston Laboratory

  • David Moreno – Undergraduate AMP Research Assistant (Fall 09)
  • Trevor Jones – Post Bacc Research Assistant (Fall 09-Spring 2010)
  • Joel Crockett – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer 2010)
  • Rodrigo Martin-Duran – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer 2010)
  • Marie Fulmer – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer 2010)
  • Austin Chavez – Undergraduate AMP Research Assistant (Fall 2010)
  • Stephanie Franco – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Spring 2011)
  • Julie Denning – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Spring 2011)
  • Joelle Masangya – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Fall 2011)
  • Diana Torres Olague – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Fall 2011)
  • Samantha Drake – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer – Fall 2011)
  • Guillermo Acosta, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow (Aug 2011 – Aug 2012)
  • Jason Martinez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (REU) (Summer 2012)
  • Alexandra Arteaga, M.S. – Graduate Student (awarded Fall 2012)
  • Angelique Whimbley – Undergraduate Research Technician (Summer-Fall 2012)
  • Frederick Crawford, M.S. – Graduate. Student (awarded Summer 2013)
  • Eshan Dahal – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Spring 2012-Summer 2013)
  • Varayini Pankayatselvan – Undergraduate Research Assistant (2012-2014)
  • Jessica Aughenbaugh – Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU BRAiN 2012-2014)
  • Jennifer Paul – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Spring 2014)
  • Diego Gomez – Undergraduate Research Assistant Fall (Fall 2013-Summer 2014)
  • Patrick Jenkins, M.S. – Graduate Student (awarded May 2012) and Research Associate (2013-2016)
  • Ruofan Cao, Ph.D. – Graduate Student (awarded May 2015)
  • Zhihua Yang, M.S. – Graduate Student (awarded May 2016)
  • Kaylin Beeman – M.S. Graduate Student (awarded Summer 2016)
  • Benjamin Rutherford – Undergraduate Research Assistant  (NMSU BRIDGES, Summer 2016)
  • Cassandra Walters – Undergraduate Research Assistant  (USDA IFSEEN Project, Summer 2016)
  • Chase Delventhal – Undergraduate Research Assistant  (USDA IFSEEN Project, Summer 2016)
  • Wenyan Li, Ph.D. – Graduate Student (awarded Fall 2016)
  • Rodrigo Rosalez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit hours, Fall 2016)
  • Courtney Alston – Undergraduate Research Assistant (USDA IFSEEN Project, Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
  • David Rodriguez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (USDA IFSEEN and NMSU HHMI, mentored by Dr. Kevin Houston, 2017-2019)
  • Scott Walls – Undergraduate Research Assistant (USDA IFSEEN, Summer 2017)
  • Matthew Mena – Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU MARC, Fall 2016 – May 2018)
  • David Stoltzfus – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Spring 2018)
  • Faisal Alturkistany, -Ph.D. Graduate Student (awarded May 2018)
  • Kapil Nichani – M.S. Graduate Student (awarded May 2018)
  • Jianzhi Li – M.S. Graduate Student (awarded July 2018)
  • Jesus Sambrano Jr. Ph.D. -Graduate Student (awarded July 2018)
  • Sidney Aguilera – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit Hours, Spring 2019)
  • Ana Natera – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit Hours, Spring 2019)
  • Felicia Rodriguez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU BRAiN, MARC Spring 2019)
  • Concepcion Sanchez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (HHMI, Spring 2019)
  • Brandon Darrow -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU AMP, Fall 2020- Spring 2021)
  • Diego Marquez – Undergraduate Research Assistant (Fall 2020)
  • Cooper LeDoux – Undergraduate Research Volunteer (Fall 2020)
  • Aimee Burton -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Volunteer, Spring 2021)
  • Mustafa Muhyi -- Undergraduate Research Volunteer (NIH U54 Student Fall 2021- Spring 2022)
  • Andrea Perez -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU MARC, Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)
  • Brenda Esparza -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU AMP, Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)
  • Dat Le Quoc Doi -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Fall 2021- Spring 2022)
  • Andy Martinez-- Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU AMP, Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)
  • Samantha Lucero -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit hours, Spring 2022)
  • Carina Anastasio --  Undergraduate Research Assistant (Volunteer Spring 2022)
  • Leah Skinner -- High School Student Volunteer (Spring 2023)
  • Melissa Mejorado-- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit hours, Spring 2023)
  • Karla Ortega-Sandoval -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (NMSU MARC Fall 2022- Spring 2024 )
  • April Gonzales-- Undergraduate Research Volunteer (2024-2025)
  • Fernanda Caldora -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Brazil Fellowship Fall 2025)
  • Paulina Castruita -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Mexico Fellowship Fall 2025- Spring 2026)
  • Ashley Pham -- Undergraduate Research Assistant (Credit hours, Spring 2026)