Tamika Simmons, HTL-ASCP, is a certified histotechnologist with an immunohistochemistry, histopathology and biomarker detection background. She is part of the Biorepository/Research histology team at UTMB and works on various projects involving infectious diseases, neurobiology and translational medicine. Tamika's passion is mental health biomarker research and applies a One Health approach to look at how immune responses and environmental factors impact health outcomes.

A U.S. Army veteran, Tamika was a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) Specialist in the military and gained experience in CBRN detection, biosafety, lab procedures and emergency response. She has a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Texas and has worked in mental health clinics & academic and clinical labs applying her skills in multiple research areas.