Faculty and Staff

Right now, your body is listening to your gut.

Chemical telephone lines are hot with messages racing to the body’s systems, but not every caller is a human cell. In fact, many of the most influential signals in your body may be coming from organisms you never see.

“The gut is a really amazing place in our body,” said Thomas Sharpton, professor in the microbiology and statistics departments, “because it is where we engage in inter-kingdom communication with the natural world.”

Trillions of microbes make a home in the intestines, and they’re not quiet passengers. This microbiome has a profound influence on our health and how we interact with our environment. Two identical people could experience the same medication or diet in unique ways depending on what species they house.

“All these major systems in our body have open ears and open minds for the messages that the gut microbiome has to say,” Sharpton (Biochemistry & Biophysics ‘03) said.

Sharpton leads interdisciplinary research to pick apart the microbiome’s impact. His work lays the path for future human health innovations that embrace the relationship with our microscopic roommates. He also helped build the Oregon State University Microbiome Initiative (OMBI), a campus-wide effort that connects researchers studying microbial communities in fields ranging from human health to agriculture and ocean science.

How gut microbes shape health

A major theme across Sharpton’s research is that microbes don’t just correlate with health. They determine how organisms — like us — experience their chemical environment.

“The gut microbiome mediates how we experience our diet, how we experience the drugs we consume and the environmental pollutants that we’re exposed to,” he said.

That principle guides the lab’s experiments on the gut-brain axis, neurodegenerative disease, behavior and cognition.

To test causality at scale, he established a unique partnership between his team’s computational skills and the zebrafish research community at Oregon State, particularly the Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory. Human microbiomes vary widely, and large, controlled clinical studies are expensive. Zebrafish enable high-replicate tests that isolate microbe-host-environment interactions. In collaboration with OSU colleagues, Sharpton’s group has shown that pollutants can restructure the gut microbiome and alter neurobehavioral development, and that removing the microbiome can flip a chemical’s effect.

A gloved woman wearing a lab coat smiles as she holds up a small tank to the camera with zebrafish swimming inside.

Ruby Scanlon works with zebrafish as an undergraduate research assistant in the Sharpton Lab.

“We studied a pollutant that drives a behavioral alteration and makes a fish hyperactive,” he said. “What happens when you take the microbiome away? All of a sudden, that pollutant makes the fish hypoactive.”

These studies reposition the microbiome as an active biochemical gatekeeper between environment and physiology. They also illuminate why two people with similar genetics and exposures can respond differently to the same diet or medication: their microbial communities and the metabolites they produce are not the same.

Sharpton’s computational work pushes the field beyond cataloging species. By integrating genomic information from gut samples and applying rigorous statistics, his lab seeks out functional signatures linked to health and disease. This shift from taxonomy to function has helped the field home in on mechanisms that are more likely to translate between species and into clinical contexts. Recently Sharpton’s team published a study titled “Modeling the zebrafish gut microbiome’s resistance and sensitivity to climate change and parasite infection” in Frontiers in Microbiomes (July 2025).

Equally important to what questions the team asks is how they answer them. The lab builds and releases open-source software and curated data resources so that others can reproduce analyses, train students and extend the findings.

“We publish everything we produce for free. It holds us accountable and helps others reproduce our results,” Sharpton said.

That openness accelerates discovery in a fast-moving field where methods evolve nearly as quickly as the microbes they study.

Two men sit at a desk with a monitor covered with code, discussing the information.

Sharpton integrates microbiology and statistics to sift through large datasets and draw correlations between the microbiome and health.

While zebrafish allow for fast, controlled tests, the lab’s standard of evidence requires asking whether those mechanisms translate to mammals and people. Sharpton’s group works across zebrafish, mouse and human systems (with some nonhuman primate studies) to assess findings.

“At the end of the day, we really want our research to matter to people,” he said. “We always try to swing the bat around and determine if what we’re seeing in these model systems is relevant in human systems as well.”

That translational arc is especially crucial in the lab’s gut-brain axis research. What began for Sharpton as skepticism has turned into sustained investigation. Across fish, mice, children and adults, his team and collaborators repeatedly see robust links between the microbiome and behavior or cognition. Those links raise questions for how we might treat cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders in the future.

“Do we have novel opportunities to prevent or treat these diseases that are frankly terrifying to many people?” Sharpton said. “Efforts to manage, manipulate or someday even engineer microbiomes may be a fundamental transformation in our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic diseases.”

The future of microbiome science

With public interest in the microbiome surging, Sharpton is careful to separate promise from hype. “A lot of people think the microbiome is the key contributor to health, and it isn't. But it is an important component alongside other variables,” he said.

Methods are advancing, individual variation is large and proving cause and effect is challenging.

“It’s almost like you’ve got a ball of yarn that’s been tangled into a knot,” he said. “You’re having to pull apart the right pieces at the right time.”

Still, he argues, scientists have a responsibility to explain what’s known, what isn’t and why it matters. “It’s not enough for us to just publish in journals anymore. Our duty to the taxpayer is to communicate the results in a way that people can understand.”

Seven members of the Sharpton Lab stand shoulder-to-shoulder outside in front of a large, green bush, each wearing matching maroon and blue shirts.

The Sharpton Lab's research has paved a path forward in microbiome research and continues to push the bounds of what we know about our symbiotic relationships.

For pioneering contributions that have advanced microbiome science from description to mechanism, Sharpton recently earned the Milton Harris Award in Basic Research and position as the Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson Chair in Healthspan Research. These honors recognize a body of work that spans high-impact zebrafish experiments, human-relevant translation, openly shared analytical frameworks and a collaborative research ecosystem that has elevated OSU as a hub for microbiome discovery. Reflecting on the Milton Harris Award, Sharpton called it “a milestone. Validation that I’m on the right track.”

The practical stakes of his work are high. If the microbiome helps determine how we process a meal, respond to medication or endure a pollutant, then understanding and, one day, managing these microbial communities could transform treatment for chronic disease.

“What microbiome science is telling us is that we are, in effect, symbiotic organisms,” Sharpton said. “We depend on our microbiome to be healthy.”

To understand human health, we have to listen closely to our gut — and the microbes calling from within.

Learn more about how the small but mighty microscopic world is studied at Oregon State here.

Microbiologist Stephen Giovannoni received a 5-year $1.2 million award to continue studying the microbiology of the Sargasso Sea, an ocean gyre that is representative of ocean regions with extremely low productivity that are expanding globally due to the warming of the ocean’s surface.

The award, from the Simons Foundation International, is part of the BIOS-SCOPE program, a consortium of scientists established in 2015 to jointly investigate the biology, chemistry and physics of this ocean region. While an assistant professor at Oregon State in the 1990s, Giovannoni began the longest ocean-time series of plankton DNA collections, exactly the type of data now needed to understand life on a changing planet.

The new aim is to understand how the decline in nutrients caused by ocean warming impacts the evolution of microbial cells, forcing them to simplify their genomes and use resources more efficiently. This information is used to predict carbon cycling globally and the biology of the future ocean.

The Sargasso Sea is an ideal study site because the ocean rhythmically transitions between cool, productive winters when nutrients are mixed to the surface, and nutrient-poor summers, when chlorophyll levels drop to extreme lows. These seasonal oscillations help scientists model how ocean biology responds to the global expansion of thermally stratified waters.

Learn more about the BIOS-SCOPE program.

Stephen Giovannoni standing in lab space

Giovannoni's lab studies how biology interacts with the atmosphere and the oceans to change global patterns in the movement of carbon and other elements.

Read more stories about: faculty and staff, microbiology, climate and oceans, research, research funding

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 17 to recognize and celebrate our high-achieving faculty and staff at the 2026 Awards Ceremony. The evening celebrated the very best in the College, from teaching, advising and research to inclusive excellence, administration and service.

The following faculty and staff received awards in research.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

F.A. Gilfillan Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Science

Davide Lazzati, from the Department of Physics, has received the F.A. Gilfillan Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Science.

Lazzati’s scholarly achievements place him among the most influential astrophysicists of his generation. With more than 190 peer-reviewed publications, over 11,000 citations and an h-index of 57, his work has shaped high-energy astrophysics and multi-messenger astronomy for more than two decades. His research spans theory, computation and observation, and many of his papers are regarded as foundational benchmarks in gamma-ray burst physics, compact-object mergers and the emerging field of gravitational-wave astronomy.

A leader in multi-messenger astrophysics, Lazzati was among the first to predict the electromagnetic signature of a binary neutron star merger — insight that proved essential to interpreting the historic 2017 GW170817 event. His modeling of structured relativistic jets and off-axis emission provided the conceptual framework that allowed scientists to connect gravitational-wave detections with their electromagnetic counterparts. His work continues to guide the field as new detectors expand the frontiers of discovery.

Lazzati’s scholarship is marked by sustained creativity and rigor, supported by a strong record of competitive NASA and NSF funding. He is also a dedicated mentor and leader. Lazzati has advised 10 graduate students, mentored postdoctoral researchers, and guided 28 undergraduate researchers, several of whom have published first-author papers. His early adoption of a formal mentoring compact, now increasingly recognized as a best practice, reflects his commitment to transparency, equity and student success. His leadership as department head further strengthened the inclusivity and effectiveness of the graduate program.

One nominator wrote, "Professor Lazzati’s record of scholarship is nothing short of extraordinary — marked by sustained excellence, transformative impact and remarkable breadth. His work often anticipates new discoveries, redefines longstanding problems and helps set the direction for future studies.”

Milton Harris Award for Basic Research

Thomas Sharpton, professor in the departments of Microbiology and Statistics and the Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson Chair in Healthspan Research, received the Milton Harris Award for Basic Research.

Sharpton is a pioneering microbiome scientist whose work has fundamentally advanced the basic biological understanding of how host-associated microbial communities function. Since joining Oregon State University in 2013, he has built an interdisciplinary research program that integrates computational biology, statistics and molecular microbiology to uncover the mechanisms by which microbiomes influence health, development and disease. His analytical frameworks, statistical models and experimental systems have become foundational tools used across the field.

His research has produced major insights into how the gut microbiome contributes to inflammatory bowel disease, neurobiological function and parasite infection, among other complex conditions. Sharpton has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including in Nature, PNAS and Nature Communications, and his work has been cited over 23,000 times. He has secured more than $24 million in research funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense and the Moore Foundation, and has developed widely used open-source software and databases that have accelerated microbiome research worldwide.

Sharpton’s leadership has also strengthened OSU’s research ecosystem. As founding director of OSU Microbiome Initiative and director of the OSU Microbiome Core, he has catalyzed interdisciplinary collaborations and expanded access to cutting-edge microbiome technologies. He is a dedicated mentor and educator, having guided more than 40 trainees and co-developed influential courses in microbial bioinformatics and quantitative genomics. His commitment to equity and inclusivity is reflected in his work on NIH and USDA diversity programs and his efforts to improve departmental monitoring practices.

Nominators emphasized both his scientific impact and his collaborative leadership. As one wrote, “His innovative approaches and unwavering commitment to scientific rigor make him an exceptional scholar and an indispensable collaborator.”

Dean’s Early Career Achievement Award

A woman in a pink shirt and black blazer with dark hair poses for a photo.

Katherine McLaughlin from the Department of Statistics, received the Dean’s Early Career Achievement Award.

McLaughlin is an internationally recognized expert in developing statistical methods for studying hard-to-reach and hidden populations, including victims of human trafficking and communities at high risk for HIV. Since joining Oregon State University in 2016, she has published 19 peer-reviewed papers in top journals, delivered talks at venues including the CDC and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and helped bring approximately $3.4 million in research funding to OSU.

Her work has had a major global impact. McLaughlin developed the “Visibility SS-PSE” model, now one of the main methods used to estimate population sizes in the UNAIDS Key Population Atlas, helping guide international HIV prevention and treatment policy. She also serves as an advisor to the U.S. Department of State-funded Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum, helping shape how human trafficking is statistically measured worldwide.

At OSU, McLaughlin played a critical role in the TRACE and PIPP pandemic response projects, designing and analyzing large-scale community COVID-19 surveys and helping integrate wastewater data into public health decision-making.

“My first reaction upon a careful read through her materials is to wonder whether Prof. McLaughlin lives within the same 24-hour day that the rest of us do,” wrote a colleague who nominated McLaughlin. They added that she is “a rare case of ‘the complete package’” whose contributions are “uncharacteristically comprehensive.”

A large group of people holding awards pose for a photo.

A man in OSU sweatshirt sits at a table.

A woman in a yellow shirt talks to a man sitting at a table.

A woman in a pink blazer talks at a podium.

Two men in dress outfits smile at an awards ceremony.

A woman in a purple shirt stands next to a woman in a black outfit holding an award.

A woman in a purple shirt stands next to a man in a suit holding a glass award.

A woman in a purple shirt stands next to a man in a blue suit holding a glass award.

The Department of Microbiology is welcoming two new colleagues: Nick Pokorzynski and Alice Nafataly.

Nick Pokorzynski

In rural Michigan, Nick Pokorzynski first discovered his love for science in a high school chemistry class. From there, he earned his B.Sc. in biochemistry at Michigan State University before working in the wine and biofuel industries. He then pursued his Ph.D at Washington State University, where he explored how intracellular bacterial pathogens survive and cause disease. While working on postdoctoral research at Yale School of Medicine, he helped discover why some pathogens prefer alternative carbon sources over glucose, which is published in one of the world's most-cited scientific journals, PNAS.

Now at Oregon State, he leads the Pokorzynski Lab and invites students to learn about host-pathogen interactions and antibiotic tolerance in typhoid fever-causing bacterium, Salmonella enterica.

"Pokorzynski’s innovative research program—uncovering the molecular mechanisms that enable bacteria to adapt to infection-relevant stress—beautifully complements and expands our strengths in microbial physiology and host health," said Department of Microbiology Head Anne Dunn. "His deep commitment to student training and success, combined with the strength of his research program, makes him an exceptional addition to the department.

Pokorzynski chose to start his laboratory at Oregon State University due to the institution’s commitment to basic scientific research and the high caliber of graduate and undergraduate students on campus.

"Our laboratory will explore how Salmonella, a major foodborne bacterial pathogen, outsmarts its animal and human hosts to survive and cause disease. This may lead to new strategies for treating Salmonella infections," he said. "The scientific community at OSU has been incredibly welcoming, and I am eager to see how our research program will develop in new and exciting ways in collaboration with experts across campus.”

Outside of university, he enjoys philosophy, history, coffee culture, live music and exploring new cuisines.

Nick Pokorzynski standing in front of a flowering tree.

Nick Pokorzynski studies how pathogens survive and cause disease.

Alice Naftaly

While reading a novel, Alice Naftaly turned the page to an unexpected chapter about the evolution of head and clothes lice. That chapter inspired her to pursue a career in genetics and evolution, leading her on a path to teaching microbiology. As a southern Virginia-native and first-generation college graduate, she earned dual B.S. degrees in biology and chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. At the University of Georgia, she pursued her Ph.D in genetics and studied the evolution of recombination landscapes and sex chromosome evolution in stickleback fish. For her postdoctoral research, she examined the effects of heat on gametogenesis in C. elegans at the University of Oregon.

Now an instructor at Oregon State, she loves teaching students about how molecular mechanisms connect to evolutionary patterns.

"Dr. Naftaly brings outstanding experience in teaching introductory microbiology, and her enthusiasm — paired with her innovative approaches to engaging non-majors — will be a tremendous asset to our teaching mission. We’re excited for the energy and creativity she will contribute to our educational mission," said Department of Microbiology Head Anne Dunn.

Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, cross-stitch, sewing, and time with her family and three cats.

"I was drawn to OSU because I wanted to join a university with a strong and lasting foundation in both teaching and research, supported by resources that genuinely help students and faculty succeed. What excites me most is OSU’s dedication to expanding access to higher education and fostering an equitable learning environment," Naftaly said.

Portrait of Alice Naftaly standing against a white wall.

Alice Naftaly will be teaching introductory microbiology and special projects.

Read more stories about: faculty and staff, microbiology, climate and oceans

A long-term analysis shows that a major Oregon reservoir abruptly swapped one type of toxic algae for another midway through the 12-year study period, absent any obvious cause.

The project provides a novel look at harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which pose multiple health risks to people and animals worldwide.

Harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs are explosions of cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae. Microscopic organisms ubiquitous in all types of water around the globe, cyanobacteria use sunlight to make their own food and in warm, nutrient-rich environments can quickly multiply, resulting in blooms that spread across the water’s surface.

These blooms can form at any time of the year but most often occur between spring and fall. Some types of cyanobacteria produce liver toxins and neurotoxins, while others make toxins that can cause gastrointestinal illness if swallowed and acute rashes upon contact with skin.

“Not every cyanobacterial bloom is toxic, but it is always wise to follow the rule of avoiding contact when there’s green growth in the water,” said Theo Dreher, professor emeritus of microbiology at Oregon State University. “Potential exposure to cyanotoxins is of public health concern, and blooms particularly pose a threat to dogs entering lakes.”

The body of water in the study, Detroit Reservoir in the Cascade Range foothills, is a popular recreation spot and also the source of drinking water for Oregon’s capital city of Salem and other communities downstream of Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River.

Click here to read the full article.

Read more stories about: faculty and staff, microbiology, climate and oceans, research

Researchers in the College of Science, including faculty member Chris Suffridge and graduate student Kelly Shannon, have contributed to a multi-institution research paper revealing a hidden threat to West Coast salmon.

The research, led by NOAA Fisheries and shared on their website, brought together 37 co-authors across federal and state agencies — including the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — universities and fisheries programs, reflecting an impressive level of collaboration to address an emerging ecological crisis. The team included oceanographers, fish nutritionists, hatchery staff and field biologists from around the U.S.

The findings show that when salmon feed heavily on northern anchovy, now increasingly dominant in the California current ecosystem, they risk developing severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiencies that can lead to high mortality rates in their offspring.

“This study represents the power of transdisciplinary and interagency collaborations to investigate complex emerging ecological problems,” Suffridge said.

Among those involved was Aimee Reed, who directs the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Health Services, a diagnostic laboratory servicing Oregon’s 34 public fish hatcheries as well as private aquaculture operations. The laboratory is part of the Department of Microbiology and located on the 5th floor of Nash Hall.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study connects recent shifts in the ocean food web to widespread thiamine deficiency in salmon populations. The researchers concluded that the deficiency likely killed as many as half of newly hatched fry of endangered winter-run Chinook Salmon in the Sacramento River in 2020 and 2021.

These thiamine-deficiency effects compound existing stress on salmon, including habitat loss and reduced water flow, pushing several runs towards commercial closures that have persisted for three years. The study underlines the urgency of integrated strategies addressing foraging fish dynamics, thiamine monitoring and hatchery supplementation to bolster salmon recovery.

“By bringing together scientists from universities, government and state agencies, this study has moved scientists closer to illuminating the root causes of thiamin deficiency in engaged populations of California salmon,” Shannon said.

A Chinook Salmon jumps at a hatchery in Issaquah, Washington. Fish health experts found that injecting adult female salmon with thiamine as they returned to hatcheries helped produce healthy offspring.

Maude David’s research sits at the crossroads of microbiology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence — an intersection that may hold the key to understanding some of the most complex disorders affecting the human brain and unlocking the secrets of deep-sea ecosystems.

Scientists have long recognized the gut-brain axis as a critical communication pathway, but only recently have they begun to uncover how the trillions of microbes in our gut influence brain function and behavior. David’s research is at the forefront of this field, using microbiome analysis and artificial intelligence to investigate links between gut bacteria and neurological disorders like autism. Her work deepens our understanding of these complex interactions and opens new possibilities for treatments. By applying AI to both human health and environmental microbes, David is pioneering a data-driven approach that could transform neuroscience and microbiology alike.

Microbiome of the human body

The gut-brain axis is a complex, bi-directional communication network linking the gut and central nervous system. The gut doesn’t rely on just microbes to communicate with the brain, but sometimes nutrients also.

For example, when you consume sugar, specialized sensory cells in your gut detect it and send signals to the nervous system, helping to regulate metabolism, appetite and energy balance.

"So, in a millisecond, the bacteria or their metabolites can ‘touch’ your brain.”

Researchers have long known that the gut-brain axis exists, but only recently have they begun to unravel how the trillions of microbes residing in the gut influence brain function and behavior.

“I am fascinated by the complex relationship we have with our microbiome,” David said. “I work specifically on this pathway where the microbes could potentially modulate sensory cells, that’s two synapses in your brain. So, in a millisecond, the bacteria or their metabolites can ‘touch’ your brain.”

Her lab is particularly interested in what role this communication network may play in neurological disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using crowdsourced data, David and collaborators discovered that children with ASD have distinct differences in the composition of their gut microbiota compared to their neurotypical siblings. The researchers recruited 111 families that each have two children — one with autism and one without — born within two years of each other and aged two to seven years old.

The researchers collected stool samples from the children at three different time points, two weeks apart. They found eight bacterial genetic sequences that were more likely to be present in the guts of children with autism than in their non-autistic siblings, and three sequences that were less likely.

A follow-up study releasing later in 2025 found further interesting results linked to metabolites, small molecules produced during metabolism. These new findings are exciting because understanding the specific metabolic pathways altered in developmental and neurological disorders could pave the way for novel therapies targeting the gut microbiome.

“There have been very few drugs in the last 20 years focused on neurological disorders. It’s really the etiology, or causes, that are unknown. There is a big gap in understanding, and basic science can help bring solutions,” she said.

A woman in a blue suit jacket holding a stuffed giant microbe.

Maude David holds a stuffed version of lactobacillus bulgarius, the main bacteria used in the production of yogurt. As a beneficial probiotic, it helps maintain a balanced gut flora, which is essential for overall health. The bacteria is produced by the company Giantmicrobes.

Microbiome of the deep sea

Beyond her hands-on lab work, David is pioneering artificial intelligence applications in microbiome research. By training machine learning models on massive datasets, her team is discovering how to predict patterns and identify microbial signatures linked to different conditions.

Her AI approach functions similarly to how a person might read thousands of books to develop a deep understanding of a subject before applying that knowledge to something new. Instead of analyzing each microbiome sample from scratch, her team feeds AI models vast amounts of microbial sequencing data, allowing the system to learn and recognize relationships between the different microbes. These models can then be applied to help classify conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer with greater accuracy.

“It is awesome, because the model can remember relationships that us humans might not. It’s finding these complex patterns,” David said.

One of the major challenges in microbiome research is the sheer volume of data involved. Each individual has a unique microbiome comprising thousands of different microbial species, each interacting in complex ways. Traditional methods of analyzing these communities can be time-consuming and require extensive resources. AI provides a way to quickly process and interpret large datasets, identifying patterns that can reveal valuable insights.

Her latest National Science Foundation study continues to push the limits of what AI can do. With a $540K grant, David is applying deep learning to analyze oceanic microbial ecosystems, an extension of her expertise in microbiome research.

The deep sea is a crucial, yet poorly understood driver of global biogeochemical cycles, the movement of essential elements like methane and nitrogen. These cycles regulate ecosystem function, influence climate and support life.

“We are looking at microbes in the ocean and researching how we can use AI to discover what role unknown genes play in methane seeps off the coast of Oregon and Washington,” she said.

Methane seep habitats, areas where methane gas escapes from the sea floor, are unique, diverse areas nourished by methane-consuming microbes. However, many of the genes involved in these deep-sea cycles remain unidentified, limiting our understanding of how these ecosystems function and their impact on global biogeochemical processes.

To analyze these complex environments, researchers will develop two AI models designed to decode gene functions. The first model will categorize genes into pathways by studying how they appear together in microbial communities. The second will use generative AI to predict the functions of unknown genes based on protein sequences and text-based data. Together, these models will help scientists identify genes responsible for each of the cycles identified.

The main outcome will be a scalable approach to artificial intelligence that will advance key questions in earth system science. Understanding the genetic mechanisms behind biogeochemical processes is crucial for predicting how ocean ecosystems respond to environmental changes.

The results of this study will include exhibits by artists involved in the research as well as a documentary about how AI can harness big data to help advance the understanding of earth systems.

As science continues to reveal the hidden influence of the microbiome, one thing is clear: critical solutions lie in understanding the powerful role microorganisms play in our bodies and our environment. David’s research has us on the right path to new understandings.

The College of Science Research and Innovation Seed (SciRIS) Program continues to drive groundbreaking research by fostering collaboration and innovation. Founded in 2018, SciRIS funds interdisciplinary research projects that aim to create meaningful societal impact. This year, Stage 2 awardees are working to revolutionize our understanding of river health, ecological communities, sustainable seaweed cultivation and insecticide resistance.

There are two tracks through the program: SciRIS team awards (Stages 1-3) and the SciRIS individual investigator award (SciRIS-ii). SciRIS Stages 1-3 funds teams in three stages to support training, research, and capacity-building, accelerating work toward external funding opportunities. SciRIS-ii funds individual faculty to establish research relationships with external partners, enabling them to demonstrate the feasibility of their ideas and quickening the pace of scientific discovery.

Four teams received SciRIS Stage 2 awards.

Bioinformatics for integrated river health

Biologist David Lytle’s project focuses on understanding the complex interactions between multiple biotic components, including food base, disease landscape and microbiome in the lower Colorado River, including the Grand Canyon. Lytle will be working with three Oregon State colleagues, along with collaborators at the United States Geological Service and the National Parks Service. The project aims to develop diagnostic tools that can identify fish parasites and diseases at a molecular level and provide preliminary data on how these parasite, microbial and invertebrate communities change over time.

Oregon State Collaborators
David A. Lytle, Integrative Biology
Justin Sanders, Microbiology, (College of Science and Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine)
Anna Jolles, Integrative Biology (College of Science and Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine)
Claire Couch, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences (College of Agricultural Sciences and Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine)

Government Collaborators
Ted Kennedy, Kim Dibble, Charles Yackulic, Kate Behn, Jessica Anderson, Bridget Deemer, U.S. Geological Service
Emily Omana, Brandon Holton, National Parks Service

Ripening Oregon blackberries, one of the crops at risk from Spotted wing drosophila

Spotted wing drosophila are an invasive pest that attack several crops essential to Oregon farmers, including ripening blueberries, blackberries, apples and stone fruit. Fruit fly populations evolve rapidly and the Patel and Vrailas-Mortimer group seek to understand the risks of resistance evolution before they adapt to local pesticides.

Insecticide resistance in spotted-winged drosophila

Geneticist Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer's project addresses the significant agricultural threat posed by spotted-winged drosophila (SWD), an invasive pest species. The research aims to advance understanding of the genetic basis and evolution of insecticide resistance in these pest populations through experimental work, genetic techniques and mechanistic mathematical modeling. The project involves collaboration with experts from UC Davis and focuses on developing sustainable control methods. Directly connected to the needs of the Oregon agricultural community, this project is a prime example of OSU’s strong community engagement initiatives as a land grant institution. By learning more about the mechanisms of insecticide resistance in spotted-winged drosophila, growers will be better able to plan and prioritize their insecticide applications to mitigate resistance.

Oregon State Collaborators
Alysia Vrailas Mortimer, Biochemistry & Biophysics
Swati Patel, Mathematics
Serhan Mermer, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (College of Agricultural Sciences)

Analytical Tools to Understand Ecological Communities

Statistician Yuan Jiang’s SciRIS project aims to create novel analytical tools for assessing how organisms in complex ecological communities like microbes and parasites interact and affect each other over time. The research will leverage long-term community datasets from wild vertebrate host populations with improved data techniques that allow these large complex data sets to be analyzed more efficiently and with environmental conditions factored in. In addition to improve our ecological understanding of these communities, Jiang's project seeks to extend the accessibility of these analytical tools to diverse scientific audiences through summer camps, workshops and online tutorials. The project will also involve collaboration with colleagues and students at the Universidad of San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador to build capacity in data analytics.

Oregon State Collaborators
Yuan Jiang, Statistics
Lan Xue, Statistics
Anna Jolles, Integrative Biology
Claire Couch, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences (College of Agricultural Sciences)

Seaweed morphology and chemical makeup can vary dramatically depending on environmental factors like seawater composition and sunlight exposure, making it a challenge to nutritionally analyze consistent materials. James Fox and his contributors have developed a system for growing seaweed on land under consistent conditions for analysis.

Unlocking the potential of seaweed

Algal physiologist James Fox’s project explores the chemical composition and potential applications of Pacific Dulse, a protein-rich seaweed native to the Pacific coastline. The team will create a special growth chamber to cultivate seaweed on land under controlled conditions. This allows researchers to maximize the production of important compounds found in Pacific Dulse, which can be used in nutrition and medicine. The project also emphasizes community outreach and inclusive excellence by engaging diverse student populations and partnering with outreach programs. Additionally, the project will investigate the impact of different processing methods on the nutritional quality of seaweed extracts.

Oregon State Collaborators
James Fox, Microbiology
Myriam Cotten, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Ford Evans, Hatfield Marine Science Center
Evan Forsythe, Integrative Biology
Scott Geddes, Chemistry Program Coordinator OSU-Cascades
Jung Jwon, Department of Food Science & Technology (College of Agricultural Sciences)
Christopher Suffridge, Microbiology

These projects highlight the innovative and impactful research being conducted by the 2025 SciRIS awardees. Each project not only advances scientific knowledge by also emphasizes collaboration, community engagement and inclusive excellence.

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 26 to recognize and celebrate our high achieving faculty and staff at the 2025 Combined Awards Ceremony. The evening celebrated the very best in the College, from teaching, advising and research to inclusive excellence, administration and service.

The following faculty and staff received awards in Inclusive Excellence, Administration, Service and Performance.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

Hannah Stuwe, graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the Inclusive Excellence Award.

College of Science Inclusive Excellence Award

Hannah Stuwe, graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the Inclusive Excellence Award.

Department Head Elisar Barbar, who nominated Stuwe, said she has engaged in a wide-ranging set of service, outreach and training that is truly impressive. First, Stuwe conducted a GFP protein purification activity for middle and high school students from the Chemawa Indian School, Jewell High School (Seaside), and visited groups of black and Latinx students from the Portland area.

She planned, wrote and edited a handbook of science experiments geared towards middle school aged students, their parents, and teachers to fill the void of not having a BB summer camp. This handbook now serves as a free and open access resource for community members.

Stuwe is the founder of the non-profit organization Corvallis Music Collective. They have engaged in community service and activism by providing live music for events and rallies. Recent events include the Basic Needs Center Fall Welcome Party, the Disabled Students Union Disability Justice Rally and Jackson Street Youth Services National Runaway Prevention Month “Skate Park After Dark” Show.

Amy Timshel, assistant to the department head in the Department of Microbiology, received the Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support.

Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support

Amy Timshel, assistant to the department head in the Department of Microbiology, received the Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support.

Her colleagues describe her as proactive, always seeking ways to improve processes and deeply committed to making the department a better place for everyone. She is highly regarded by students, faculty and staff for her professionalism, broad knowledge and ability to get things done. In fact, Department Head Anne Dunn noted that when she polled faculty on department strengths during strategic planning exercises, Timshel's critical role in the department was consistently highlighted.

"Her ability to provide a wealth of information on a variety of administrative issues is unparalleled, and she approaches each interaction with a warm smile and an eagerness to assist," said a Ph.D. candidate nominator.

She has a deep understanding of university policies and constantly looks for ways to improve them. She listens, advocates for students and colleagues, and takes initiative to make the department more inclusive and equitable. For example, her work on the Core Values Committee led to the addition of gender-neutral restrooms in Nash Hall and improvements to scholarship and travel fund policies.

Beyond her administrative role, Timshel actively fosters a sense of community within the department. She organizes fundraisers and charity events and regularly attends student events to show her support.

A woman in a red top poses in front of plants.

Elaine Cozzi, assistant head and associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, received the Distinguished Service Award for her impactful service to her department, the College and the broader mathematics community.

Distinguished Service Award

Cozzi served as interim associate dean of academic and student affairs for the College in Spring of 2024, managing various projects, including the university’s revision of its undergraduate advising system, assessing teaching resources and addressing countless student issues. She was overwhelmingly generous with her time in responding to the many challenges and the needs of her colleagues.

Before and after serving as associate dean, Cozzi served as assistant department head for mathematics, responsible for scheduling upper-level courses and ensuring adequate staffing for the Department’s teaching mission. This affects the hiring of instructors, graduate students and undergraduate graders.

Jon Kujawa, Department of Mathematics head and Cozzi’s nominator, noted, “It is hard to overestimate the impact of Elaine’s planning on the smooth operation of the teaching side of the department. And she readily pivots when unexpected events disrupt the plans.” Additionally, Elaine led the assessment of the Mathematics undergraduate program for several years, playing a crucial role in student success, he shared.

Cozzi also contributes significantly to the mathematics profession as Associate Editor for the American Mathematical Monthly – the most widely read mathematics journal in the world. She is also an active member of SIAM, a professional society for applied mathematics, where she helps organize meetings and contributes to administrative efforts and regularly serves as a grant evaluator for the NSF and the Simons Foundation, helping to shape the future of mathematical research.

Virginia Lesser, Department of Statistics Head, received the Champion of Science award.

Champion of Science Award

Virginia Lesser, Department of Statistics Head, received the Champion of Science award for her significant contributions to the field of statistics and to Oregon State University throughout her distinguished career. After earning her Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she joined OSU’s Department of Statistics in 1992.

A year later, she became Director of the Survey Research Center, a role she held until her retirement in December 2024. Lesser's expertise in probability sampling, survey design and data collection methods ensured that the center upheld the highest standards. Under her leadership, the center became a premier institution, offering expertise in survey methodology, sampling and data analysis – supporting projects that inform policy, environmental monitoring, economic studies and public opinion research. Its work has helped agencies such as the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon State Marine Board and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife make data-driven decisions, not to mention numerous initiatives within the University.

Lesser's groundbreaking research in survey methodology, environmental statistics, applied statistics and ecological monitoring has advanced the field and influenced practice. She has authored over 55 journal articles and conference proceedings, earning national and international recognition – including being named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.

Lesser's leadership also transformed the statistics department and elevated Oregon State University’s role in the field as department head from 2011 to 2018.

Lesser has also been a dedicated mentor and advocate for students and colleagues. Over the course of her career, she guided more than 220 graduate students and fostered a welcoming, supportive community within the department. Her colleagues regard her as an exceptional mentor and an inspiring leader, someone who consistently goes above and beyond – whether leading major academic initiatives or simply making sure the department potluck had a home-cooked turkey.

Kameron Kadooka stands with Eleanor Feingold as they present the Inclusive Excellence Award to Hannah Stuwe.

Eleanor Feingold presents an award to Amy Timshel.

Eleanor Feingold presents an award to Elaine Cozzi.

2025 College of Science Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony

The following faculty and staff received awards in the categories of teaching and advising.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

Eric Cole, academic advisor in the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising.

Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising

Eric Cole, academic advisor in the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising.

Students state that Cole is encouraging and relatable, and he helps students confidently navigate their academic and career paths. Cole shows an exceptional level of empathy and consistency in his advising, and he takes the time to understand student’s unique challenges, offering personalized support and consistent follow-up.

“I am glad to say he is my advisor, and everyone needs someone like Eric,” one student nominator wrote.

Cole is a dedicated, empathetic and reliable advisor who consistently goes the extra mile for his students. His students appreciate his down-to-earth nature, including his famous flip flops.

Malcolm Lowry, assistant professor (senior research) in the Department of Microbiology, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Undergraduate Teaching in Science.

Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science (Undergraduate)

Malcolm Lowry, assistant professor (senior research) in the Department of Microbiology, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Undergraduate Teaching in Science.

Lowry is known for his engaging teaching style that is highly contemporary to current events in the world. Specifically, students noticed his excitement for teaching and passion for class materials.

“Dr.Lowry is by far the best professor I’ve had in my educational career. He encourages students to reach out for issues and I’ve never felt so safe in a classroom before. He connects with us and treats the classroom like home,” one student nominator wrote.

Students also appreciated his use of attention-grabbing moments and explanations during lectures, which are strengthened by his use of new technologies and current research in the field.

Picture of Chemistry Instructor, Denis Drolet

Denis Drolet, senior instructor I and advisor in the Department of Chemistry, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Graduate Teaching in Science.

Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science (Graduate)

Denis Drolet, senior instructor I and advisor in the Department of Chemistry, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Graduate Teaching in Science.

Drolet is an exceptional educator whose dedication and passion leave a lasting impact. He is known for making learning both interesting and entertaining, effectively conveying complex concepts in a relatable and engaging manner. Drolet goes above and beyond to support his students, showing genuine care for their success. His passion for teaching is evident in his ability to make learning fun and engaging, while simultaneously creating a positive and stable learning environment.

“He is an exceptional professor,” one student nominator wrote. “He is extremely down to earth, demonstrates clear passion towards his teachings and sincerely cares about his students on a personal level, despite having thousands of them. I was extremely sad when I couldn’t sign up for his class next term due to how fast they filled up, which demonstrated just how great of a professor he is.”

Margaret (Margie) Haak, senior instructor II and head advisor in the Department of Chemistry, received the Fred Horne Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching Science.

Fred Horne Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching Science

Margaret (Margie) Haak, senior instructor II and head advisor in the Department of Chemistry, received the Fred Horne Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching Science.

To quote her nominators, Haak has given her heart and soul to the Chemistry Department” over the past 30 years. Her innovative teaching methods have transformed learning experiences for countless students. She was the first to introduce electronic homework platforms in Chemistry courses and created the "Atoms First" approach in general chemistry, significantly improving the flow and understanding of the course material.

Haak also pioneered the use of computers in chemistry labs and integrated active learning strategies into the general chemistry sequence long before active learning was a common practice. She worked to introduce the flipped classroom model for the introductory general chemistry sequences, creating the foundation of the curricular model that supports the course, and thousands of OSU students, today.

The student nominator mentioned how much Haak helps students feel like they belong in science and like they are visible people in a huge class of many students. This student states “I have always felt a bit out of place, but she made me feel at home. I knew in her class I would be seen as myself and not judged for my disabilities. She did everything she could to provide me with a successful learning experience.”

Read more stories about: events, faculty and staff, chemistry, integrative biology, microbiology, advising

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