Professor Katrine L. Whiteson of the department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry has been selected as a UCI Chancellor’s Fellow, a distinction awarded to tenured faculty whose body of scientific work supports a strong trajectory towards distinction.

Professor Katrine Whiteson is an innovative leader in the field of microbiome research. She established the UC Center for Pediatric Microbiome Research, co-founded, and served as Associate Director of the UCI Microbiome Initiative and worked to form the Microbiome Centers Consortium. She was invited to the White House to participate in the launch of the National Microbiome Centers Consortium. Since the onset of the global pandemic, Professor Whiteson has been studying SARS-CoV-2 and microbiome interaction with analysis of viral genomics from wastewater samples. Her teaching and service are superb. She teaches large undergraduate courses and receives stellar evaluations from students. She is an active editor and reviewer and has received speaking invitations at numerous national and international institutions. In less than two years, she published 15 papers and received additional funding from NIH. Her engagement and productivity are exceptional.