I’m Owen Hale, a biological sciences Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Megan Behringer’s lab at Vanderbilt University.

My main scientific interest is the within-host ecology and evolution of bacterial pathogenesis. This means I think about how ecological interactions between pathogens and members of the microbiome mediate infection outcomes and how evolution affects these interactions. I also collaborate with physicians to improve patient care with evolutionary insights.

Before starting my doctoral training in 2021, I graduated from Georgia Tech where I earned a B.S. in biology. There, I worked with Dr. Amit Reddi and Dr. Rebecca Donegan to study heme homeostasis in mycobacteria, which cause tuberculosis, leprosy, and other infections. I also did an industry co-op developing microbial treatments to increase crop yield and carbon sequestration at Indigo Agriculture, Inc. and studied the neurobiology of alcohol addiction in Dr. Gilles Martin’s lab at UMass Medical School.

Outside the lab, I’m an avid New England and Georgia Tech sports fan and cook.