Laura A. Katz

Laura A. Katz is the Elsie Damon Simonds Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College. Her research focuses on elucidating principles of eukaryotic evolution through phylogenetic reconstruction, community sampling, and genome evolution analyses.

• Key Research Areas:
  • Phylogenomics of microbial eukaryotes
  • Genome evolution in ciliates and testate amoebae
  • Epigenetic mechanisms in evolutionary adaptation
  • Biodiversity of understudied protist lineages
• Education:
  • Ph.D., Cornell University
  • A.B., Harvard College

Recent publications highlight her work on lateral gene transfer in eukaryotes, virophage taxonomy, and the role of mobile genetic elements in genome evolution. Her lab employs advanced techniques like single-cell transcriptomics and amplicon sequencing to explore protist diversity in unique ecosystems such as New England bogs and pitcher plant microhabitats.