Nichole Broderick

Nichole Broderick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), part of the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. Previously, she held roles as Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut and Associate Research Scientist at Yale University. Her PhD in Entomology and Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison was followed by postdoctoral research at EPFL in Switzerland. Her research focuses on the gut microbiota of insects, particularly Drosophila melanogaster, investigating how microbes influence host development, immunity, and disease resistance. Key areas include microbiome establishment, host-microbe interactions, and the role of innate immunity in non-traditional contexts like nutrient processing.

Broderick's lab employs genetic, genomic, and molecular tools to study microbiome-host dynamics. She teaches a student-centered antibiotic discovery course (Microbe Hunters) as part of the Tiny Earth initiative. The lab is based in Levi Hall at JHU, with ongoing projects exploring diet-microbiome interactions using the Dietary Composition Calculator (DDCC) tool they developed. Current lab members include postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and staff working on topics like transgenerational immunity, microbiome stability under pathogens, and host immune system plasticity.