Laura Weyrich

Laura Weyrich is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Bioethics at Pennsylvania State University, located in University Park, PA. Her research focuses on microbiome adaptation and evolution across diverse ecologies, integrating ancient DNA analysis, anthropological genomics, and experimental models to uncover microbial mechanisms impacting human health and environmental change.

Education: B.S. in Applied and Industrial Microbiology from South Dakota State University (2007), and Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology with a minor in Science, Technology, and Society from Pennsylvania State University (2012).

Research interests include ancient human microbiome evolution, environmental microbiome reconstructions, and collaborations with Indigenous communities to address health disparities. Her work emphasizes ethical microbiome research practices and translational applications for combating diseases like diabetes and periodontal disorders. Key projects involve analyzing dental calculus to trace human migration patterns and health histories.

Labs/Teams: Microarchlab (https://microarchlab.github.io/), focusing on paleomicrobiology and anthropological genomics. She advocates for equitable partnerships with Indigenous groups in microbiome studies and promotes interdisciplinary approaches to bridge anthropology, ecology, and public health.