Curriculum vitae
Download a PDF version of my CV here
Professional experience
- October 2024-Present: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
Education
- Ph.D. in Biology, Stanford University, 2023
- B.Sc. in Microbiology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2017
- B.Sc. in Environmental Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2017
Research experience
- 2017-2023: PhD student and lab manager
- Stanford University, USA, Department of Biology
- Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Hadly
- Projects:
- Uncovering the true strain diversity of E. coli in wild animals
- Examining host and environmental factors contributing to within-host E. coli phylogroup community composition
- Assessing the distribution, prevalence, and transmission potential of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli from wild animals
- 2013-2017: Undergraduate researcher and lab technician
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, Department of Plant Pathology
- Supervisor: Dr. James Alfano
- Projects:
- Investigating the effects of calmodulin on Arabidopsis immunity to Pseudomonas syringae
- Understanding P. syringae pathogenesis and suppression of plant immunity
Publications
Lagerstrom, K. M., Dobson, A. P., Campbell-Staton, S. and Moeller, A. H. 2026. How do anthropogenic change affect wildlife microbiomes? PLOS Biology; accepted.
Lagerstrom, K. M., Scales, N. C., and Hadly, E. A. 2024. Impressive pan-genomic diversity of E. coli from a wild animal community near urban development reflects human impacts. iScience 27(3); 109072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109072
Lagerstrom, K. M., Vance, S., San Juan, P. A., Gupta, T. D., and Hadly, E. A. 2023. Utilizing animal gut microbiomes to mitigate biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene. Evolutionary Ecology Research 2023; 29-43. PDF
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. 2023. Under-appreciated phylogroup diversity of Escherichia coli within and between animals at the urban-wildland interface. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 89(6); e00142-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00142-23
Lagerstrom, K. M., Vance, S., Cornwell, B. H., Ruffley, M., Bellagio, T., Exposito-Alonso, M., Palumbi, S.R., and Hadly, E. A. 2022. From coral reefs to Joshua trees: What ecological interactions teach us about the adaptive capacity of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 377(1857): 20210389. http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0389
Glidden, C. K., Nova, N., Kain, M. P., Lagerstrom, K. M., Skinner, E. B., Mandle, L., Sokolow, S. H., Plowright, R. K., Dirzo, R., De Leo, G. A., and Mordecai., E. A. 2021. Human-mediated impacts on biodiversity and the consequences for zoonotic disease spillover. Current Biology 31(19); R1342-R1361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.070
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. 2021. The under-investigated wild side of Escherichia coli: Genetic diversity, pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in wild animals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288(1948); 20210399. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0399
Fischer, E. K., Alvarez, H., Lagerstrom, K. M., McKinney, J. E., Petrillo, R., Ellis, G., O’Connell, L. A. 2020. Neural correlates of winning and losing fights in poison frog tadpoles. Physiology & Behavior 223; 112973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112973
Lagerstrom, K. M. 2017. The involvement of Arabidopsis calmodulin in plant immunity against Pseudomonas syringae. Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Theses. 205. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses/205
Presentations at professional meetings
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Moeller, A. H. Strain-resolved analyses provide evidence for human-to-animal bacterial transmission in captivity. Poster Presentation at: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference; 2026 June; Blacksburg, VA, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Moeller, A. H. Strain-resolved analyses reveal bacterial transmission from humans to captive mammals. Poster Presentation at: Eastern Regional Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference; 2025 November; State College, PA, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Moeller, A. H. Strain-resolved analyses reveal bacterial transmission from humans to captive mammals. Poster Presentation at: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference; 2025 June; South Bend, IN, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. Understanding the eco-evolutionary dynamics of Escherichia coli in animals at the wildland-urban interface for public health and conservation. Poster Presentation at: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference; 2024 June; Stanford, CA, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. Understanding the eco-evolutionary dynamics of Escherichia coli in animals at the wildland-urban interface for public health and conservation. Poster Presentation at: ESA Annual Meeting; 2023 August; Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. Phylogroup distribution and genetic diversity of Escherichia coli from a wild animal community imbedded in a human landscape, Poster Presentation at: ASM Microbe; 2023 June; Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. The wild side of E. coli: Investigating the genetic diversity and distribution of Escherichia coli in wild animals, Poster Presentation at: ISME18; 2022 August; Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. The wild side of E. coli: Investigating the genetic diversity and distribution of Escherichia coli in wild animals, Poster Presentation at: 8th Conference on Beneficial Microbes; 2022 July; Madison, WI, U.S.A.
Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. The wild side of E. coli and its implications for human health, Oral Presentation at: Bay Area Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference; 2022 February; Virtual.
Lagerstrom, K. M., Kim, P. and Alfano, J. The effects of calmodulin on plant immunity to Pseudomonas syringae, Poster Presentation at: XVII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions; 2016 July; Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Invited talks
- Alumni Fireside Chat for CASNR Honors Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 2024 April; Lincoln, NE, U.S.A.
- “The wild side of E. coli: Investigating the distribution and diversity of Escherichia coli in wild animals at Jasper Ridge”; Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Evening Lecture Series; 2022 April; Stanford, CA, U.S.A.
- “ABR and Public Health”; ENVR189H Honors Seminar, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 2020 November; Lincoln, NE, U.S.A.
Service and leadership
2026–Present Volunteer reviewer; Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)
2025–Present Co-chair; One Health Advisory Group, Applied Microbiology International (AMI)
2025–Present Pacific Committee member; Microbiome Virtual International Forum
2024-Present Trustee; Board of Trustees, Applied Microbiology International (AMI)
2024-Present Member; One Health Advisory Group, Applied Microbiology International (AMI)
2019-2022 Coordinator; Graduate Student Programming Board (GSPB), Stanford University
2021-2022 Graduate student representative; Jasper Ridge Faculty Advisory Committee, Stanford University
2018-2022 Lab safety manager; Hadly Lab, Stanford University
2020-2022 Founder; Microbial Ecology Journal Club, Stanford University
2021 Member; Biology Pre-Orientation Program committee, Stanford University
2020-2021 Member; Return-to-Research committee, Stanford University
2019-2020 President; Stanford Science Pen Pals, Stanford University
2017-2019 Graduate student mentor; Stanford Science Pen Pals, Stanford University
2019 Poster session judge; Stanford Research Conference (SURA), Stanford University
2018-2020 Mentor; Biology PhD Program, Stanford University
2019 Representative; Graduate Student Information Center (GSIC), Stanford University
2018-2019 Member; Biology mentorship committee, Stanford University
2017-Present Member; Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
2014-2016 President; Microbiology Club, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2014, 2016 Lab station coordinator; UNL Women in Science Conference, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Teaching and mentorship
2022-Present Research mentor; 60 high school students’ independent research projects, Polygence
2022 Teaching assistant; Ecology (Bio 81), Stanford University
2022 Instructor/course designer; Introduction to Nanopore Sequencing, Stanford University
2022 Research mentor; Engage with Girls is STEM (EWGIS) Research Program
2020 Research mentor; Basser Program, Stanford University
2019 Research mentor; Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Program (BSURP), Stanford University
2018 Research mentor; Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) Summer Research Program, Stanford University
2018 Teaching assistant; Ecology for Everyone (Bio 30), Stanford University
2018 Teaching assistant; Ecology (Bio 81), Stanford University
2013-2014 Teacher; YWCA SMART Girls after-school program, McPhee Elementary
2011-2014 Teaching assistant; Bright Lights Summer Camp, Lincoln Public Schools
Fellowships and grants
2026 Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Commitment Program
2018–2020 Philippe Cohen Fellowship