Being 2SLGBTQIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus) in STEM can be isolating. In an effort to build community and bring together Queer and Trans folks, a group of advocates and scientists have built the Pride in Microbiology Network.
As a community-building initiative, with a focus on the microbial sciences, the Pride in Microbiology Network is committed to creating a safe-space for Queer and Trans microbiologists to meet, network, and collaborate. You can sign up to our mailing list below, or join our discord server!
Katie L. Barnes is a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she works in Dr. Laura Knoll’s lab, focusing on the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Her journey into research began at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studied the insect-specific bacteria Wolbachia in parasitic nematodes under the mentorship of Dr. Bill Sullivan. Katie’s passion for science is driven by a desire to help others and create a supportive community. She attributes her current success to the encouragement and support she received from those around her.
With this mission in mind, and after gaining a deeper understanding of her own sexuality during graduate school, Katie became involved with the Pride in Microbiology Network. This organization allows her to combine her love for communication and community-building by connecting individuals across various spaces and experiences. She is eager to continue building up the Queer community.
Date:
October 2024
Dr. Nicholas de Mojana di Cologna, PhD
Dr. Nicholas de Mojana di Cologna was born and raised in Brazil and is of mixed Brazilian and Italian heritage.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Brasilia (UnB). During his undergraduate studies, he received fellowships from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), a government agency under the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology. These fellowships allowed him to pursue research under the mentorship of Dr. Carlos André Ricart at the Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry (LBQP) in the Molecular Biology Department of the University of Brasília’s Biology Institute. After graduating, he continued at the LBQP to pursue a master’s degree in Molecular Biology, also funded by a CNPq fellowship. During this time, he delved deep into the field of proteins, learning biochemistry, biophysics, and proteomics techniques. His undergraduate and master’s projects focused on understanding how filamentous fungi respond to the availability of different carbon sources in the production of highly specialized multi-enzymatic complexes.
Recently, Dr. Cologna completed his PhD in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (Microbiology and Immunology concentration) at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr. Jacqueline Abranches at the Lemos-Abranches Laboratory (Oral Biology Department, College of Dentistry). During this period, he continued exploring proteins, now from the perspective of microbiology. His research involved studying Streptococcus mutans, the primary causative agent of dental caries, where he characterized functional amyloids of an important virulence factor and investigated the roles and mechanisms of a glycosylation machinery crucial to bacterial pathophysiology.
Currently, Dr. Cologna is working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF-SUNY), University at Albany, in Dr. Alex Valm’s lab. His current research focuses on understanding how the structure of complex oral biofilms correlates with various pathologies. He is investigating how different microbes physically interact within a biofilm, employing a combination of molecular microbiology and fluorescence imaging techniques.
In his free time, he enjoys reading books, particularly the classics, despite knowing that it is unlikely he will finish them all in one lifetime. He also appreciates modern literature (though he struggles to keep pace with Stephen King’s prolific writing). Additionally, he has a passion for theater, especially musicals, enjoys playing video games, and loves cats.
Date:
September 2024
Dr. Edel Pérez-López
Dr. Edel Pérez-López is an Associate Professor of Phytopathology at Université Laval. He earned his BSc in Biochemistry from Havana University, Cuba, followed by a PhD from Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. He then completed postdoctoral fellowships at Auburn University, USA, and the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Since joining Université Laval, Dr. Pérez-López has led the EdeLab, where the team investigates various plant pathogens and insect vectors. The lab focuses particularly on effector biology as a strategy for developing long-lasting resistance in crops. Additionally, the lab studies the impact of climate change on the distribution and incidence of emerging plant diseases and insect vectors, aiming to reduce insecticide use and promote sustainable agriculture.
Date:
September 2024
Dr. Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira, PhD
Bruno is an Assistant Professor of Bacteriology in the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology at Fluminense Federal University (UFF) in Niterói, Brazil. As a marine microbiologist and bacterial genomicist, his research focuses on host-associated microbiomes within oceanic ecosystems, particularly the macroalgal holobiont. His lab pursues three primary research lines: (1) the diversity, ecophysiology, and biotechnological exploitation of macroalgal microbiomes; (2) the study of CAZomes in marine habitats, encompassing genomics, biochemistry, and industrial applications; and (3) marine bacterial pangenomics. We investigate in our lab both culturable and unculturable microbial communities associated with macroalgae along the Brazilian coast, utilizing metataxonomics, metagenomics, and genomics. Ultimately, we bioprospect these macroalgae microbiomes for the discovery of biologically-active molecules with multiple applications across multiple industrial sectors.
As an openly gay man in academia, Bruno have been committed to fostering a sense of justice and belonging for the LGBTQIA+ community in microbiology since the early days of his PhD. As a Microbiology Society Champion, he helped to establish the “Queer in Microbiology” Working Group in 2022, pioneering in-person and virtual networking events for LGBTQIA+ microbiologists, initially focused on the UK and Ireland but always with an international reach. In late 2022, Bruno joined Dr. Landon Getz and Prof. Dr. Edel Pérez-Lopez to create the Pride in Microbiology Network, which we have been coordinating since June 2023. By means of his actions for the community, Bruno hopes to empower LGBTQIA+ individuals in the microbial sciences, particularly those from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups and those living in the Global South.
Date:
January 2024
Dr. Landon J. Getz
Dr. Landon J. Getz (He/Him, PhD) is a Gay/Queer man and a molecular bacteriologist specializing in Vibrio genetics. Dr. Getz is an award-winning researcher and post-secondary educator, with significant laboratory experience, as well as teaching experience in undergraduate biology, microbiology, and chemistry courses. Landon is an LGBTQ+ advocate and has worked to enhance the equity, diversity, and inclusion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through Queer Atlantic Canadian STEM. Landon is an alumnus of the inaugural Youth Council of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada.
