Our Team

Ashley Steed is a physician-scientist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Critical Care Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Duke University. Thereafter she matriculated in the NIH-sponsored Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University for medical and graduate school. Her graduate work in immunology focused on understanding host responses to infections, and specifically, elucidated the role of interferon gamma in suppression of viral reactivation from latency. Then she completed clinical training with a residency and chief-residency in pediatrics and subspecialty training in pediatric critical care medicine. She joined the faculty in 2016.
 
Steed’s research investigates the role of the microbiota in the establishment and maintenance of antiviral immunity. She was a fellow in the Pediatric Scientist Development Program and one of the first trainees in the Oliver Langenberg Physician-Scientist Training Program at Washington University. Her work demonstrated that specific bacteria and associated metabolites enhance innate immunity and afford protection in animal models of influenza infection. Currently, she aims to define the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which age and microbial dysbiosis impacts antiviral immunity. She is currently funded by the Washington University Department of Pediatrics, the Children’s Discovery Institute, NIH-NIAID and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Gautam Anand earned his bachelor’s degree in life sciences and a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Lucknow, India in 2012. Additionally, he briefly served as a junior research fellow at the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, focusing on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In 2019, he completed his PhD in environmental genomics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. His doctoral research was centered on studying plant-microbe interaction and the influence of indigenous microbe alterations on soil microbiome and plant health.

Gautam joined the Steed lab as a postdoctoral research associate in 2020. In the Steed lab, his research is concentrated on exploring the impact of age on antiviral immunity through a neonatal mice model. This research also delves into genetic and environmental factors, inclusive of the role of the microbiota, that contribute to the development of the immune system and the immune response to viral infections. He was promoted to Staff Scientist in 2024.

Agarwal obtained her master’s degree in microbiology from Gurukul Kangri University, India. Subsequently, she worked as a research Fellow at the Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, India and was involved in a project titled “Microbicides for Prevention of HIV Transmission and other Sexually Transmitted Infections: In vitro Efficacy and Pre-Clinical Safety Evaluation”. She completed her PhD in Molecular Sciences and Engineering from Amity University, India.

She currently works as a postdoctoral research associate at Washington University St. Louis, Missouri, where her primary research area is investigating the role of microbiota in establishing and maintaining antiviral immunity. She also has a secondary focus on the significance of envelope proteins in coronavirus infection.

Ivana Ling grew up in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, before heading to Monterrey, México, where she earned her BA in biosciences from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. During her senior year, she balanced her coursework with hands-on research in glioblastoma at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After graduation, she moved to St. Louis to dive deeper into research and pursue her BS in Integrated Studies: Health Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. With a strong passion for translational medicine and patient care, she is determined to pursue an MD-PhD. Outside the lab, you can find her exploring the St. Louis food scene, spending time with her cat, immersing herself in fantasy novels and treasure-hunting at thrift stores.