Brian Hedlund

Brian Hedlund is a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). His research focuses on microbial ecology and genomics, particularly in extremophilic environments such as geothermal springs. He leads studies exploring microbial biodiversity, including 'dark' lineages of bacteria that remain underexplored. Hedlund employs advanced techniques like single-cell genomics, metagenomics, and stable isotope analysis to understand microbial roles in ecological processes. His work bridges fundamental research with applied biotechnology, including biofuels development and disease diagnostics. Hedlund’s research is funded by major agencies like NSF, NASA, DOE, and NIH. He co-authored the SeqCode, a nomenclatural system for naming uncultivated prokaryotes based on genomic data, and serves on grant review panels for national funding bodies.

Education:

• Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Washington
• B.S., Biology, University of Illinois

Research Interests:

• Microbial biodiversity in extreme environments
• Functional genomics of uncultivated microorganisms
• Applications in astrobiology and biotechnology
• International collaborations, particularly with China

Grants & Funding:

• Major support from NSF, NASA, DOE, and NIH
• SeqCode development and microbial naming initiatives

Labs & Teams: Hedlund collaborates with industrial and academic partners on projects ranging from biofuels to human microbiome studies, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches.