Beth Shen Email & Phone Number

I am passionate about educating others about scientific concepts and the process of doing science through teaching and research. Questions about microbial lifestyles drive my research.As a postdoctoral researcher in Joseph Mougous’ lab at the University of Washington, I am investigating the role of interbacterial antagonism in microbial communities. Through this work I have: -Developed robust gnotobiotic methods, diverse high-throughput sequencing pipelines, and anaerobic bacterial genetic protocols to study the role of interbacterial antagonism on mammalian gut microbiome composition. - Received the prestigious NIH NRSA Individual Postdoctoral Award (F32).- Maintained communication between team of 10+ collaborators about research findings and executing experiments. Mentored 3 trainees in diverse areas, including bacterial genetics. Disseminated findings at national conferences.My graduate work in Robert Landick’s lab at the University of Wisconsin - Madison focused on the mechanism of gene regulation in bacteria by a group of bacterial chromatin proteins and their interaction with RNA polymerase. Some of the skills I acquired during my Ph.D. include: - In vitro biochemical techniques including protein purification, transcription assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, hydroxyl radical footprinting, and atomic force microscopy.- Presentation of my work through oral presentations, poster sessions, and peer-reviewed publications.- Mentoring junior trainees in diverse laboratory techniques and poster presentations.I've also developed my teaching philosophy through teaching experience, pedagogy courses, and mentoring during my graduate studies. Specifically, I believe that: - the focus of the classroom and learning is the student- learning and science is best done in a collaborative environment- critical thinking skills are key to scientific discoveryI am always excited to discuss the topics of science that I work on and how to educate the next generation of scientists. Feel free to contact me at beth.ann.shen@gmail.com.