diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/controllers/CarverMatrixController.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/controllers/CarverMatrixController.java
index 49b22b9..23c89d7 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/controllers/CarverMatrixController.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/controllers/CarverMatrixController.java
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestParam;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
-import org.springframework.security.core.annotation.AuthenticationPrincipal;
-import org.springframework.security.oauth2.jwt.Jwt;
 
 import com.fmc.starterApp.models.entity.CarverItem;
 import com.fmc.starterApp.models.entity.CarverMatrix;
@@ -179,7 +177,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> updateCarverMatrix(@PathVariable Long matrixId, @Reques
     public ResponseEntity<?> searchCarverMatrices(@RequestParam Map<String, String> searchParams, @AuthenticationPrincipal Jwt jwt) {
         try {
             // Get user's email from JWT token
-            String userEmail = jwt.getClaim("email");
+            String userEmail = jwt.getClaim("email").toString().trim().toLowerCase();
             if (userEmail == null || userEmail.isEmpty()) {
                 return ResponseEntity.badRequest().body("User email not found in token");
             }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/CarverMatrixService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/CarverMatrixService.java
index 5151cf2..d37ab6a 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/CarverMatrixService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/CarverMatrixService.java
@@ -179,6 +179,18 @@ public CarverMatrix createCarverMatrix(CarverMatrix matrix, Long userId) {
         matrix.setRoleBased(matrix.getRoleBased());
         matrix.setFivePointScoring(matrix.getFivePointScoring());
 
+        List<String> participantList = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(matrix.getParticipants()));
+        for(int i = 0; i<participantList.size(); i++){
+            participantList.set(i, participantList.get(i).toLowerCase().trim());
+        }
+        matrix.setParticipants(participantList.toArray(new String[0]));
+
+        List<String> hostList = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(matrix.getHosts()));
+        for(int i = 0; i<hostList.size(); i++){
+            hostList.set(i, hostList.get(i).toLowerCase().trim());
+        }
+        matrix.setHosts(hostList.toArray(new String[0]));
+
         if (matrix.getItems() != null) {
             for (CarverItem item : matrix.getItems()) {
                 item.setCarverMatrix(matrix);
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/User2Service.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/User2Service.java
index 465d32b..3cf400f 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/User2Service.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/fmc/starterApp/services/User2Service.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public User2 upsertUser(Jwt jwt) {
             // Extract user details from JWT claims.
             String keycloakId = jwt.getClaim("sub");
             String username = jwt.getClaim("preferred_username");
-            String email = jwt.getClaim("email");
+            String email = jwt.getClaim("email").toString().trim().toLowerCase();
             String firstName = jwt.getClaim("given_name");
             String lastName = jwt.getClaim("family_name");
             String fullName = jwt.getClaim("name");
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ public JWTInfoDTO extractJwtInfo(Jwt jwt) {
             String firstName = jwt.getClaim("given_name");
             String lastName = jwt.getClaim("family_name");
             String fullName = jwt.getClaim("name");
-            String email = jwt.getClaim("email");
+            String email = jwt.getClaim("email").toString().trim().toLowerCase();
 
             // Extract roles from the "resource_access" claim.
             List<String> starterAppRole = new ArrayList<>();