Kate is a research technician funded by the Wellcome Trust studying fungal adaptation to environmental changes in pH and salinity with potential relevance for human pathogenicity. She joined the Barber lab in 2026, after graduating with a BS in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan. Her Bachelor’s Honor’s thesis focused on toxic metal accumulation in lichens on an urban-to rural gradient, and she has lab experience with both mammalian and fungal cell culture. Outside of the lab, Kate enjoys reading, spending time outside hiking or running, cooking and traveling with her sister.