Lab Members
Karen Lithgow, PhD
Principal Investigator
Karen is a new Assistant Professor in the Dept of Microbiology & Immunology at Dalhousie University. Karen completed her PhD with Dr. Caroline Cameron at the University of Victoria and postdoctoral training with Dr. Laura Sycuro at the University of Calgary. Karen is passionate about studying fastidious anaerobic bacteria that play important roles in mediating sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Outside of the lab, Karen enjoys mountain biking, skiing, hiking and reading weird fiction novels.
Julia Nelson
Undergraduate Researcher
Julia is a 4th year undergraduate student majoring in Microbiology & Immunology with a minor in the History of Science & Tech at Dalhousie University. Julia is completing summer research and an honours project in the Lithgow Lab. Outside of school, Julia is involved with various societies on campus including recreational youth and adult programs for folks with disabilities, science outreach and communication efforts, and the campus first aid team. Julia also enjoys camping, hiking, and reading!
Lauren Over
Graduate Student (MSc)
Lauren is completing her Master's in Microbiology & Immunology in the Lithgow Lab. Lauren obtained her Bachelor's in Health Science degree at the University of Calgary, majoring in Biomedical Science. Lauren's undergraduate thesis focused on the interplay between the host immune system and bacterial presence in the context of pregnancy and preterm labour - a field of great interest, which she continues to pursue at Dalhousie University. Beyond the lab, Lauren focuses on competitive ringette, volunteering with various healthcare organizations, and learning as many new languages as possible!
Lab Pets
Iggy Pup (Karen)
Bear & Wynn (Lauren)
