Adams Research Group

The Adams Research Group uses molecular and cellular techniques to manipulate spirochetes, sequence bacterial transcriptomes, characterize cellular processes, map regulatory networks, and study spirochetes during infection.

Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group.

Biology of Spirochetes Unit, 2025. Left to right; Front Row: Anna Seminara, Postdoctoral Fellow; Anthony Bui, Postdoctoral Fellow; Middle Row: Christine Scronce, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Erika Smith, Postdoctoral Fellow; Back Row: Patrick Blackman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Philip Adams, Stadtman Investigator.

Credit: NIAID

Philip P. Adams, Ph.D.

Chief, Biology of Spirochetes Unit
Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator
NIH Distinguished Scholar

Contact: philip.adams@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 2017, Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, FL
B.S., 2012, Biology, Summa Cum Laude, West Virginia Wesleyan College, WV

Dr. Philip Adams earned his undergraduate degree in biology at West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2012, where he first studied B. burgdorferi cell biology. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis in 2017. His dissertation work identified and characterized murine infection-relevant RNAs in...

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Anthony Bui, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: anthony.bui@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D. Cornell University
B.S. University of Maryland

Dr. Anthony Bui earned his undergraduate degree in biology from University of Maryland in 2016, where he investigated microbial community structure and dynamics of tobacco products and nontraditional irrigation water sources. In 2024, he earned his Ph.D. in microbiology at Cornell University under the supervision of Dr. Joshua Chappie. His thesis work utilized structural and biochemical approaches...

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Anna B. Seminara, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: anna.seminara@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D. Yale University
B.S. University of Maryland

Dr. Anna B. Seminara earned a B.S. in biological sciences from the University of Maryland College Park in 2019. While at UMD, Anna worked in the lab of Dr. Vincent Lee studying second-messenger nucleotide signaling molecules in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 2025, Anna earned her doctorate from Yale University in the lab of Dr. Stavroula Hatzios. Her thesis work used chemical biology approaches to...

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Erika Smith, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: erika.smith2@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
B.A., Colby College

Dr. Erika Smith earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Colby College in 2018, where she studied carotenoid biosynthesis in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii. In 2024, she earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry, cellular, and molecular biology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a member of Dr. Erin Goley’s laboratory. Her thesis work involved characterizing mechanisms of adaptation to...

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Patrick Blackman, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Contact: patrick.blackman@nih.gov

Education:

B.S., North Carolina State University

Patrick Blackman graduated from North Carolina State University in 2024 with a B.S. in biochemistry and biology. In his undergraduate research, Patrick investigated how IFE‑3 dynamically localizes with eukaryotic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates. Patrick joined the BOSU in August 2025 to study mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation in the Lyme disease spirochete.

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Christine (Mary) Scronce, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Contact: mary.scronce@nih.gov

Education:

B.S., West Virginia Wesleyan College

Christine Scronce graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2025 with a B.S. in biology. In her undergraduate research, Christine studied tick biodiversity and the prevalence of Borrelia and Anaplasma sp. in North Central West Virginia ticks. Christine joined the BOSU in August 2025 to study gene regulation in the Lyme disease spirochete.

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Former Research Group Members

Julia Silberman

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2023-2025
Current Position: PhD Student, Harvard Medical School, Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Max Freedman

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2024-2025
Current Position: Postbaccalaureate Fellow, NIAID, Genomics and Precision Health Section

Ryan Fishman

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2023-2024
Current Position: Medical Student, Duke University, School of Medicine

Daniel Soliman

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2022-2023
Current Position: Medical Student, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine

Emily Petroni

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2021-2023
Current Position: Medical Student, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine

Daniel Tetreault

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2020-2022
Current Position: PhD Student, Cornell University, Microbiology

Maxime Zamba-Campero

Postbaccalaureate Fellow 2019-2021
Current Position: PhD Student, University of Pennsylvania, Cell and Molecular Biology

Previous Summer Interns

Haden Fincham

Summer 2024
Current Position: Undergraduate Student, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Raghib Nihal

Summer 2022
Current Position: Medical Student, University of Virginia, School of Medicine

Previous Lab Photos

Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group

Biology of Spirochetes Unit, 2024. Left to right: Julia Silberman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Philip Adams, Stadtman Investigator; Erika Smith, Postdoctoral Fellow; Max Freedman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow.

Credit: NIAID
Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group Members in Summer 2024.

Adams Lab: Group on Gene Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens, NICHD, Summer 2024. Left to right: Julia Silberman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Haden Fincham, Summer Intern; Philip Adams, NIH Independent Research Scholar; Ryan Fishman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Max Freedman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow.

Credit: NICHD
Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group Members in Summer 2023

Hiking at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Adams Lab: Group on Gene Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens, NICHD, Summer 2023. Left to right: Julia Silberman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Daniel Soliman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Philip Adams, NIH Independent Research Scholar; Ryan Fishman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow.

Credit: NICHD
Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group Members in Summer 2022.

Hiking at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. Adams Lab: Group on Gene Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens, NICHD, Summer 2022. Top row, left to right: Emily Petroni, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Philip Adams, NIH Independent Research Scholar; Maxime Zamba-Campero, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Daniel Tetreault, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; bottom row: Daniel Soliman, Postbaccalaureate Fellow.

Credit: NICHD
Photo of Dr. Philip Adams Research Group Members in Summer 2021.

Adams Lab: Group on Gene Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens, NICHD, Summer 2021. Left to right: Daniel Tetreault, Postbaccalaureate Fellow; Philip Adams, NIH Independent Research Scholar; Maxime Zamba-Campero, Postbaccalaureate Fellow.

Credit: NICHD
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