Talia Karasov

Talia Karasov is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on host-pathogen coevolution, microbial genetics, plant immunity, and population genetics. She earned her B.Sc. from Stanford University and her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Research Interests:
- Evolutionary mechanisms enabling microbial pathogens to colonize hosts
- Trade-offs between generalist vs specialist pathogen strategies
- Genetic and genomic basis of plant-pathogen interactions
- Microbial community dynamics in plant phyllospheres

Key Findings:
- Stable host-pathogen associations across evolutionary timescales
- Role of genomic variation in coevolutionary dynamics
- Trade-offs between plant growth and defense mechanisms

Lab Activities:
- Functional genomics of bacterial pathogens
- Host-pathogen trait mapping
- Field studies on pathogen spread factors
- Combining molecular, computational, and field approaches