Shane received his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Connecticut (UConn), graduating as one of 17 University Scholars, the highest distinction bestowed to undergraduates by the university. During his tenure at UConn, he worked with Dr. Daniel Gage investigating mechanisms of protist-mediated plant growth, a research effort that combined next-gen sequencing, computational biology, and botany. Outside of his academics, Shane worked as an EMT in Bridgeport, CT for 5 years, rendering medical aid to a predominantly low-income and minority population. Since joining the lab in 2024, Shane has been investigating the impacts of caloric restriction on the gut’s bacteriophage population and its translation into human health. During his time at Penn State, Shane has been awarded as a University Graduate Fellow, Homer F. Braddock Scholarship recipient, Eberly College of Science Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Science, Stephen B. Brumbach Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, William Taylor Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and an NIH T32 award for Integrative Analysis of Metabolic Phenotypes (IAMP). Outside of the lab, Shane enjoys participating in MMA, music production, cooking, and city exploration.