Stephanie S.L. Birnbaum

Stephanie S.L. Birnbaum is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Occidental College. With a B.S. from Emory University and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, she has been appointed since 2021. Her research focuses on insect adaptations to environmental stressors like plant toxins and pesticides, utilizing transcriptomic approaches to understand ecological and evolutionary trade-offs.

Dr. Birnbaum's publications reveal key expertise in

• Insect immunology
• Transcriptional plasticity
• Host-pathogen interactions
• Pesticide resistance evolution

. She has established experimental systems for studying non-model insect species, particularly Aphis nerii, while exploring specificity patterns in fungal parasites like Escovopsis across ant symbioses. Her work integrates molecular biology with ecological dynamics to address adaptive mechanisms in specialized herbivores.

In her laboratory, she maintains biological cultures of Aphis nerii to investigate plant-insect interactions and environmental adaptation. Her research bridges ecological immunology with evolutionary genetics, focusing on how organisms navigate toxic environments and pathogenic challenges.