Lindsey Backman

Lindsey Backman is a Valhalla Fellow at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research where she leads the Backman Lab, focusing on protein structure and biochemistry in anaerobic bacteria within the human microbiome. She received her PhD in chemistry from MIT in 2022 and a bachelor's degree in chemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2015.

Her research interests center on understanding how bacteria in the human microbiome protect enzymes essential for survival. The Backman Lab investigates competitive strategies bacteria employ to outcompete other microbes, with particular focus on glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) in anaerobic conditions. Her work explores how pathogens like Clostridioides difficile utilize specialized enzymes to consume niche nutrients and survive oxidative stress, potentially revealing new antibiotic targets.

Dr. Backman's publication record demonstrates expertise spanning both microbiology/biochemistry (focusing on GRE mechanisms and bacterial metabolism) and cancer biology (examining ATM signaling pathways in breast cancer). Her research shows a consistent theme of investigating molecular mechanisms that enable organisms to survive in challenging environments.

Scientific Honors:

• Paul T. Englund Emerging Scholar Award from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2023)
• MIT Hugh Hampton Young Fellowship (2021)
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship (2017)
• MIT Dept. of Chemistry's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2016)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2016)
• DOW Chemical Graduate Fellowship for Underrepresented Minorities (2015)

During her graduate work at MIT under Catherine Drennan, she characterized hydroxyproline dehydratase (HypD), solving its first structures and proposing an enzymatic mechanism. Her undergraduate research included participation in HHMI's Exceptional Research Opportunities Program. At Whitehead Institute, her lab now explores how anaerobic pathogens thrive amidst oxidative stress, investigating bacterial microcompartments and enzyme repair systems as protective mechanisms.