Emily Davenport

Emily Davenport is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding host-microbiome interactions, leveraging genomic and computational approaches to explore microbiome composition, health impacts, and evolutionary relationships. Davenport completed her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago (2014) and B.S. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2007), followed by postdoctoral training at Cornell University and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2014
• B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2007
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University, 2014–2019
• Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 2018–2019

Research Interests: The Davenport Lab investigates the complex relationship between humans and their microbiomes, using high-throughput sequencing and computational tools to address questions about microbiome composition, health effects, and evolutionary dynamics. Key areas include microbiome responses to dietary changes, aging, and environmental exposures.

Key Contributions: Recent work explores gut microbiome interactions with dietary restriction in mice, ancient dental calculus insights into historical microbiomes, and the impact of pesticides on gut microbiota. Her lab emphasizes open science and FAIR data principles, contributing to initiatives like the National Microbiome Data Collaborative.

Advising & Teams: Advises graduate student Naomi Huntley. Collaborates with institutions like QIAGEN and the One Health Microbiome Center at PSU. Her lab is part of interdisciplinary networks advancing microbiome research in health, agriculture, and environmental science.