Katherine Ennis named 2024 For Women in Science awardee

Since 2003, the program—which is the US component of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards—has recognized five women postdoctoral scientists for their contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and their commitment to mentorship for future generations. Awardees are selected in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which manages the application and peer-review process, and receive $60,000 in grant funding to support their research.

Ennis is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of PMB professor Steven Lindow and Integrative Biology professor Britt Koskella studying the relationship between microbes and the impact of bacteriophages (phages). “Plants have a microbiome, just like humans do, and that can serve as something that protects against various infections from bacteria,” Ennis said in a video accompanying the announcement. Her research is unique in that it focuses on the wider effects that phages have on bacterial communities as a whole. “I’m trying to identify how, when we infect a tomato leaf with phage, how does that affect the microbiome of the leaf,” she said. Her research is the first to experimentally address this question and could enhance scientific understanding of the microbial interactions impacting agriculture, leading to better phage-based treatments for bacterial infections. 

Ennis and other program recipients were honored at a November 14 award ceremony in Washington DC, and participated in a three-day programming experience with organizations like AAAS and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine.