Eric Ho

Eric Ho serves as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Lafayette College, actively contributing to the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. He has led undergraduate research initiatives in phage genomics and bioinformatics since at least 2016, utilizing Mycobacterium smegmatis as the primary bacterial host system for phage isolation and genomic analysis.

His research focuses on bacteriophage genomics, computational biology, and evolutionary mechanisms through in silico analysis of phage genomes. Dr. Ho integrates genomic annotation, phylogenetic studies, and host-pathogen interaction modeling into his work, emphasizing hands-on student engagement with genomic databases and bioinformatics tools to investigate phage diversity and evolutionary patterns.

Dr. Ho has mentored 25 undergraduate students across two SEA-PHAGES course offerings: Spring 2016 (16 freshmen in BIOL102L-07) and Spring 2018 (9 freshmen in BIOL102L-07). Each section operated as a 3-hour weekly laboratory meeting dedicated to phage genome annotation and analysis, providing foundational research experience in genomic science. He collaborates with colleagues Sze Cheng and Sean Menarguez in course instruction.

As part of Lafayette College's SEA-PHAGES team, Dr. Ho participates in this national HHMI-funded network that connects over 200 institutions in phage discovery research. His work supports the program's mission to transform undergraduate science education through authentic genomic research experiences, contributing to community resources like PhagesDB and the Genome Exchange.