معرفی
Zoë Hilbert is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Boston College, where she leads the Hilbert Lab. She holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research focuses on host-fungal interactions, adaptive evolution of pathogenic fungi, and the evolutionary dynamics between microbes and their hosts. Key interests include fungal pathogenesis, microbial recognition mechanisms, and immune evolution.
Her work explores how pathogens like Cryptococcus neoformans evolve to tolerate environmental stresses and adapt to host defenses. Recent studies include investigations into thermotolerance mechanisms and trade-offs in pathogenicity. She has published in journals such as Current Biology and Cell Host and Microbe, often collaborating with institutions like the University of Utah.
The Hilbert Lab team includes postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. students, and undergraduates focusing on diverse fungal species, such as Dreschlerella dactyloides and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. The lab emphasizes evolutionary genomics and experimental approaches to understand microbial adaptation.
Scientific Contributions: Her research bridges evolutionary biology and microbiology, highlighting how pathogens evolve to survive host defenses. Notable projects include studies on glycan recognition receptors and trade-offs in fungal virulence. Current work explores novel mechanisms of host-microbe conflict resolution at carbohydrate-protein interfaces.
