Hi! My name is Lauren and I am an NSF biology postdoctoral research fellow that joined the Dantzer Lab in September 2020. I completed my PhD with at Stony Brook University where I worked with Dr. Amy Lu on vertical microbial transmission and the maturation of the gut microbiome in nonhuman primates. I am broadly interested in how hormones and microbes can mediate the effects of the social and ecological environment on development and phenotype. For my postdoc research as part of the Dantzer Lab and in collaboration with the Kluane Red Squirrel Project, I plan to investigate the red squirrel developmental microbiome at the intersection of maternal effects, ecological change, and adaptive plasticity. Outside of research, I am passionate about mentorship and outreach. When I’m not doing science, you can find me playing with my rescue doggies or cooking.
You can check out my website at laurenapetrullo.com, contact me at petrullo@umich.edu or follow me on twitter @laurenpetrullo!