Nichole Broderick

Nichole Broderick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University. She previously held positions as an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut and a postdoc at EPFL, Switzerland. Her research focuses on host-microbiome interactions, particularly in Drosophila melanogaster, examining how microbiota influence immunity, development, and physiology. She is also engaged in STEM education initiatives, such as the Tiny Earth network for undergraduate antibiotic discovery projects.

Education:

• PhD in Entomology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004)
• Postdoctoral Research at EPFL, Switzerland, under Bruno Lemaitre (2013-2015)

Research interests include the molecular mechanisms of microbiota establishment, the role of the immune system beyond classical functions, and the ecological and evolutionary impacts of microbiome perturbations. She investigates how diet influences microbiome composition and function and explores transgenerational microbiome effects on immunity. Her lab develops tools like the Dietary Composition Calculator (DDCC) to standardize research across microbiome studies.

Advising and grants involve mentoring graduate students and postdocs in NIH-funded projects, including NIGMS grants, and fostering diverse training through career development plans. She actively recruits trainees from underrepresented groups and encourages external funding applications.

Labs and teams: The Broderick Laboratory at Johns Hopkins, established in 2020, focuses on Drosophila gut microbiome research and collaborates with global academic networks. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining genetics, genomics, and ecology.