Rachel Whitaker

Rachel Whitaker is the Harry E. Preble Professor of Microbiology at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. Her research focuses on microbial evolution, particularly in Archaea, viruses, and their interactions in natural and clinical settings. Whitaker’s lab investigates CRISPR-Cas immunity, viral symbiosis, and microbial ecology, with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. She holds notable awards including the Allen Distinguished Investigator Award (2017) and the University Scholar Award (2020). Her work spans Yellowstone hot springs microbial populations, Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage dynamics, and archaeal cell biology. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and co-directs the Microbial Diversity Course at the Marine Biological Lab.

Education:

• B.A. in Biology (SiSP), Wesleyan University (1993)
• Ph.D. in Microbiology, University of California, Berkeley (1998–2004)
• Postdoctoral Researcher in Geomicrobiology, University of California, Berkeley (2004–2006)

Research Interests: Whitaker’s work explores viral symbiosis, One Health approaches to bacterial pathogens, and archaeal genome architecture. Key topics include CRISPR-Cas systems, microbial coevolution, and the role of viruses in genomic innovation. Her lab combines genomics, experimental evolution, and modeling to understand infection genomics and microbial ecosystems.

Awards & Recognition:

• Allen Distinguished Investigator Award (2017)
• University Scholar Award (2020)
• American Academy of Microbiology Fellow

Labs & Affiliations: Whitaker leads the Whitaker Lab, part of the Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology. The lab collaborates globally, studying microbial populations in extreme environments and clinical contexts. Her work addresses antibiotic resistance, infectious disease dynamics, and microbial meta-populations.