Graduate Students

Kristopher Kieft

kieft@wisc.edu

Ph.D Candidate, Microbiology Doctoral Training Program (2017-present)

B.S., Biology, Central Michigan University (2017)

Research Interests – Bacteriophages are often overlooked as contributing members of an ecosystem. I am interested in using sequencing data to explore ecological and biogeochemical services of phages in nature and the human gut. I am also interested in the development of bioinformatic methods to expand the set of tools available for investigating phages.

ORCID        Google Scholar       Twitter

Patricia Tran

ptran5@wisc.edu

Ph.D Candidate, Freshwater and Marine Sciences Program (2018-present)

B.S., Environmental Sciences, McGill University, 2016

M.S., Biology, Concordia University, 2018

Graduate certificate in Bioinformatics, McGill University, 2016

Research Interests – My research explores the metabolism and ecology of microbes in anoxic zones of freshwater lakes, such as seasonally oxygen-depleted bottom waters (hypolimnions) of Lake Mendota (Madison, WI), and the permanently anoxic deep waters of Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania). Additionally, my work aims to bridge the gap between the data-rich research fields of genomics and aquatic modeling, by leveraging genomic information from -omics datasets (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics) to inform lake quality water models.

ORCID        Google Scholar       Twitter

Marguerite Langwig

langwig@wisc.edu

Ph.D Candidate, Freshwater and Marine Sciences Program (2021-present)

B.S., Biopsychology, Wagner College

M.S., Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin

Research Interests: I am interested in using omics methods (mainly metagenomics) to understand the vast microbial diversity that exists in the world. I have a special love for marine environments, especially hydrothermal vents and the deep sea. I am excited about the novel insights omics techniques are providing about microbial ecology and hope to continue adding to our understanding in my PhD.

Katherine Klier

kklier@wisc.edu

Ph.D Candidate, Freshwater and Marine Sciences Program (2021-present)

B.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan

Research Interests: My research interests include investigating the ecological function of microbes and viruses in marine and freshwater ecosystems. I am interested in using bioinformatics and laboratory-based methods to better understand microbial processes and interactions that occur in various environments.