Jamie S. Foster

Jamie S. Foster is a Full Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, with a concurrent appointment in the Genetics and Genomes Graduate Program. She also serves as Assistant Director of the Astraeus Space Institute. Her career spans roles at Purdue University and NASA Ames Research Center, with notable positions including Postdoctoral Fellowships at NIH and NASA.

Education:

• B.S. Zoology, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1992)
• M.S. Biological Sciences, University of Southern California (1996)
• Ph.D. Zoology, University of Hawaiʻi (2000)

Research Focus: Dr. Foster specializes in astrobiology, microbial ecology, and space biology. Key areas include symbiotic interactions in microgravity, stromatolite microbial diversity, and microbialite formation. Her work has contributed to understanding microbial behavior in space and their ecological significance on Earth.

Recent Trends in Articles: Her recent publications emphasize space biology advancements, microbial responses to microgravity, and metagenomic studies of extremophile ecosystems. Notable topics include payload development for lunar missions, immune cell behavior in symbioses, and microbialite genomic analysis.

Awards:

• 2021 President's Award, American Society of Gravitational and Space Research
• 2020 Orr-Reynolds Service Award, ASGSR

Advising & Grants: Dr. Foster mentors graduate students like Joseph Emhof and Rachel Ivester. Her lab focuses on biomanufacturing in space, microbialite ecosystems, and stromatolite metabolism. Research has leveraged NASA-funded spaceflight experiments, including missions STS-134 and SpaceX CRS-22.

Labs/Teams: The Foster Lab investigates microbial adaptations to environmental extremes, with projects spanning symbiosis under space conditions and the geochemical processes of modern microbialites.