Gemma Reguera, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University, received the 2022 Alice C. Evans Award from the American Society for Microbiology for her outstanding contributions toward the full participation and advancement of women in the microbial sciences. The award was established by the society’s Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology and is given in memory of Alice C. Evans, the first woman elected president of the American Society for Microbiology, in 1928.
“I am extremely honored to receive an award that recognizes efforts to empower women in the microbial sciences,” Professor Reguera said. “I am humbled by the recognition and more committed than ever to efforts that elevate and benefit the advancement of women in science.”
The Reguera lab pursues broad interests in applied and environmental microbiology, with research projects spanning human, terrestrial, and anthropogenic environments. The lab’s research is highly interdisciplinary and aims at harnessing microbial components, microorganisms, and microbiomes as technologies that prevent human exposure to contaminants, pollutants, and pathogens. Most recently, the lab demonstrated that microbes are capable of soaking up toxic pollutants, opening the door for applications in the recycling of toxic metals.
Dr. Reguera holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Oviedo in Spain and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.