Natural Sciences: Katie Kaiser '25

kaiser headshotMajor(s) and minor(s)

B.S. in Microbiology

Minor in Epidemiology

Hometown

Belmont, MA

Areas of interest/focus in research

I started off with research in the ecology field, but my interests have shifted toward microbiology. I am currently doing research involving bacteria, horizontal gene transfer, bacteriophages, and CRISPR.

Labs / departments / offsite programs where research was conducted

Tropical Biology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - Dr. Floria Uy

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at URMC - Dr. Andrew Varble

About me...

Hi! My name is Katie and I'm a microbiology major in the class of 2025. I'm from right outside of Boston, MA. I joined the Varble Lab at URMC second semester of my sophomore year. We study bacteria and the bacteriophages that infect them. Our projects focus on the CRISPR system and horizontal gene transfer, especially the transfer of antibiotic resistance. My project involves infecting Staphylococcus aureus bacteria strains with different phages to determine what factors may allow bacteria to ward off phages more effectively. I'm also working on a project that examines the CRISPR-Cas9 system in Streptococcus pyogenes to gain more insight into how it works. This will have implications for biotechnology and gene editing.

How has your experience as a researcher influenced your career objectives?

Going into college, I knew that I wanted to major in biology, but I wasn't sure about much else. Although I didn't have a specific track in mind, I had a lot of interest in infectious diseases. The summer before my sophomore year, I started doing research in ecology. I immediately knew that I wanted to continue doing research. Although it's a supplemental part of the undergraduate experience, it has easily been my favorite. I am working in a microbiology lab at URMC and I have already learned so much. Despite the rigor of the semester, I try to squeeze in time in the lab whenever I can. I look forward to continuing and learning more. My future plans are inspired by the research I have done and I plan to pursue a Ph.D.

Campus organizations, programs, activities, clubs, awards/distinctions:

Awards:

  • Prince Street Scholarship
  • Discover Grant Recipient (Summer 2023)
  • Dean's List (all semesters)

Clubs:

  • Outing Club
  • Campus Times
  • Gamma Phi

Fun Fact: when I'm not doing research you can usually find me...

Spending time outside! I love everything outdoors. My favorite outdoor activity is skiing but hiking is a close second.

Areas where I may be particularly helpful:

Discover Grant application, finding a lab that's the right fit, reaching out to PIs, and general research advice :)

What advice do you have for prospective or new researchers?

Don't hesitate to reach out and utilize your resources! Ask your older peers, email faculty, go to the Greene center. There are a lot of underutilized resources on campus.

Email me with any questions: kkaiser4@u.rochester.edu