Elizabeth Ottesen

Elizabeth Ottesen is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies-Advising in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Georgia, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on microbial ecology, particularly gut microbiome stability, antibiotic resistance ecology, and host-microbe interactions using the American cockroach and other models. She earned her Ph.D. in Biology from Caltech (2008).

Research interests include studying microbial community structure/function, environmental antibiotic resistance, and the role of host diet in microbiome dynamics. Her lab uses molecular tools like community transcriptomics and single-cell genomics. Notable work includes identifying fecal contamination as a driver of antibiotic resistance in waterways and characterizing microbiome stability in cockroaches.

Her 2025 Creative Teaching Award highlights her educational contributions. She advises graduate students including Amber DePoy, Kevin Riedmuller, and Rachel Dockman. The Ottesen Lab collaborates on projects ranging from stream microbial ecology to SARS-CoV-2 pathobiology in hamsters.

Awards include recognition for teaching and research grants supporting microbiome studies. Her work bridges environmental, clinical, and evolutionary microbiology with applications to public health and ecosystem management.