I recently earned my PhD from the Molecular Engineering PhD program at the University of Washington, investigating how microbial interactions influence ecosystem function in both host-associated and free-living environments. While my undergraduate education and research experiences were in Chemistry and Biochemistry, I’ve managed transition into the world of microbial systems biology. This was facilitated by my experience working in the group of Adam Arkin at the University of California Berkeley after finishing my undergraduate education, where I helped characterize and model dynamics in a synthetic consortia of twelve human gut microbes. Now, as a postdoc I am continuing to do research at the interface of microbial ecology and systems biology as a member of the Gibbons lab here at ISB.
My current interests lie within the realms of microbial ecology and evolution. While at ISB I intend to develop a deeper understanding of the complex interspecies and evolutionary dynamics of soil and human gut microbial communities through the characterization of individual species and synthetic consortia, and the application of novel computational approaches. I want to further our understanding of how interspecies interactions and environmental factors facilitate the formation and functions of microbial communities, the ways by which communities adapt to changes in their environment, and the functional roles they play in the soil and human gut ecosystems.
Outside of the lab I enjoy going to concerts at many of the great local music venues, playing indie board games, and exploring the beautiful wilderness that surrounds Seattle.
gibbons.isbscience.org/bio/alex-carr/
