Liz Karr

Liz Karr is a Professor of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences and Senior Associate Dean of the OU Graduate College and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at the University of Oklahoma. She holds a PhD from Southern Illinois University and a BSc from Murray State University. Her research focuses on gene expression mechanisms and energy conservation in anaerobic microorganisms, including methanoarchaea, syntrophic bacteria, and Clostridioides difficile. Her work employs molecular, biochemical, and structural approaches to study microbial processes in anaerobic environments.

Education:

• PhD in Microbiology, Southern Illinois University (2003)
• BSc in Biology, Murray State University (1999)
• Associate in Science, Paducah Community College (1997)

Research Interests:

• Anaerobic microbial communities and decomposition processes
• Gene regulation in methanoarchaea and syntrophic bacteria
• Pathogenesis mechanisms in Clostridioides difficile
• Thermodynamic constraints on microbial metabolism

Professional Roles:

• Associate Director, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology
• Former Associate Dean (2020-2024) and Associate Professor (2014-2024)
• Graduate Program Director for Microbiology and Plant Biology (2017-2020)

Labs/Teams: Leads the Karr Lab focused on microbial molecular mechanisms and structural biology. Collaborates on Arctic and Antarctic microbial studies, including extremophile research in Lake Fryxell.