Lisa Bono

Lisa Bono is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University. She leads the SEA-PHAGES program through the TrUE Scholars initiative, which engages undergraduates in discovery-based virus research. Her work integrates ecological and evolutionary dynamics using viruses as model systems.

Research Focus: Dr. Bono’s research explores ecological drivers of viral host range evolution, evolvability consequences of host range expansion, sociovirology, and environmental virus isolation. She employs experimental evolution with bacteriophages like Pseudomonas syringae phage phi6, as well as influenza and environmental phages.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on phage genomics (BL4/BL6/BL7 and BL1/BL2/BL3 phages), viral social behavior theories, and evolutionary rescue mechanisms. Earlier studies examine RNA virus dynamics, niche expansion, and adaptive trade-offs.

Education & Outreach: She contributes to undergraduate research training via STEM CORE programs and has published on the professional identity of STEM faculty in course-based research experiences.