Evolutionary Biology (EVOB) Faculty

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Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Geisel School of Medicine

Office:  507A Vail

Phone:  

My laboratory's research examines the interaction between bacterial and viral pathogens in the respiratory tract, particularly in the setting of chronic lung diseases, like Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Current studies in the lab are focused on elucidating molecular mechanisms that govern the innate immune induction of biofilm growth in the lung. Translating the laboratory's bench studies to the bedside, our team collaborates with physicians in Otolaryngology and Pulmonary Medicine to examine viral-bacterial interactions in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of patients with chronic lung disease. We use a combination of live-cell imaging, microbiological, cell biological and cutting-edge genomics approaches with the long-term goal of identifying new therapeutic targets to disrupt and/or prevent the chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infections that are so devastating to people with CF.

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Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Office: 213 Remsen

Phone: 603-646-5352

Our research group investigates the molecular mechanisms through which the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus causes disease in diverse patient populations. We utilize molecular genetics, genomics, biochemistry, microscopy, immunology, and animal model approaches to develop, explore, and test our clinically relevant questions and hypotheses regarding these too often lethal infections.
 Our long-term goal is to translate results from these studies into novel therapeutic advances.

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Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Office: LSC 334

The Ghosh Lab is broadly interested in the molecular and cell biological processes that help animals navigate daily life. We leverage an integrative approach including molecular genetic, cell biological, and ecological analyses to understand how a relatively simple and experimentally accessible nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans interacts with its environment. Through these efforts, we hope to discover generalizable principles of animal physiology and behavior.

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Professor and Chair, Molecular and Systems Biology

Andrew Thomson, Jr., MD 1946 Professor

Office:   725A Remsen

Phone:   603-646-5251

The Halpern lab uses the zebrafish model to examine how left-right differences in the vertebrate brain arise and their functional significance. Using genetic, genomic, transgenic and optogenetic methods, they aim to map, manipulate, and monitor activity of neural pathways to understand their influence on behavior.

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Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas S. Kosasa Professor at Geisel School of Medicine

Office: 208 Vail

Phone: 603-646-5371

We study the mechanisms by which bacterial and fungal pathogens regulate virulence determinants within multicellular populations, within microbial communities and in the context of mammalian hosts.


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Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Office: 326 Life Sciences Center

Phone: 603-646-1019


Bacteria often live in groups, called biofilms, where they cooperate and compete using a broad spectrum of interactive behaviors. These interactions are central to how bacteria evolve, and how they cause disease. We use molecular genetics, confocal microscopy, computational simulations, and evolutionary analysis to understand the mechanisms and biofilm-scale consequences of bacterial cell-cell interaction.


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Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Office:  504A Vail Building

Phone:  603-646-5388

The bacteria resident in the human gastrointestinal tract (the gut microbiota) potently influence diverse aspects of human health, including immunity. However, the forces that govern the composition of the gut microbiota are poorly understood. Our work focuses on a mechanistic, ecological, and evolutionary understanding of how interbacterial interactions between members of the dominant Gram-negative bacteria in the gut, the Bacteroidales, modulate the composition of the microbiota. The Bacteroidales utilize a contact-dependent toxin-delivery system known as the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to kill neighboring cells. We study the impact of this pathway on the microbiota and how bacteria adapt to defend against T6SS-mediated antagonism, using a combination of bacterial genetics, biochemistry, metagenomics, and germ-free mouse models. We are also interested in understanding why Bacteroidales abundance is depleted in individuals with cystic fibrosis, with the goal of improving health through restoration of these bacteria.

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Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Office: 206 Vail

Phone: 603-646-5390

The Schultz lab develops quantitative approaches to study the emergence, operation and optimization of the gene networks that control cell responses in bacteria, with a focus on antibiotic resistance mechanisms. We combine mathematical modeling, bioinformatics, experimental evolution and microfluidics to analyze how the cell controls the expression of resistance genes during drug responses. We strive to guide innovation in clinical therapies by uncovering the selective pressures that shape the evolution of antibiotic resistance in natural environments.

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Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Office: 333 Life Sciences Center

Phone: 603-646-8616


My lab's research focus is to better understand evolution of microbes through computational analyses of genomic and metagenomic data.


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