Biography
Micah Woods is a Post-Baccalaureate Scholar in the Cresko Laboratory, where they assist with a range of projects throughout the lab. Before their current role, Micah worked in the Cresko Lab as a Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar under the mentorship of Hope Healey. Their interdisciplinary background spans both biology and philosophy, exemplified by their award-winning undergraduate thesis in philosophy of biology.
Education
- B.A./B.S., University of Oregon
- Robert D. Clark Award for thesis in philosophy of biology
- Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar
Honors & Awards
- 2023: Published article in Ms. Magazine on Dr. Katalin Karikó
- Robert D. Clark Award: For excellence in undergraduate thesis (Philosophy of Biology)
- Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar: Competitive research fellowship
Research Experience
Current Projects
As a Post-Baccalaureate Scholar, I assist with various projects including: - Population genomics of stickleback - Host-microbiome interactions - Bioinformatic pipeline development - Data analysis and visualization
Previous Research
As a Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar, I used in situ hybridization to explore the expression of key genes involved in the craniofacial development of: - Zebrafish - Threespine stickleback
- Pipefish
Research Interests
- Evolutionary Developmental Biology: Understanding how development evolves
- Philosophy of Biology: Theoretical frameworks in evolutionary biology
- Science Communication: Making science accessible to broader audiences
- Comparative Genomics: Cross-species developmental comparisons
Publications & Writing
- Woods, M. (2023). Article on Dr. Katalin Karikó and mRNA vaccine development. Ms. Magazine.
- Undergraduate thesis in philosophy of biology (Robert D. Clark Award)
Skills
Laboratory Techniques
- In situ hybridization
- Molecular biology techniques
- Microscopy
- Sample preparation
Computational Skills
- Bioinformatics
- Data analysis
- Pipeline development
- Scientific visualization
Communication
- Science writing
- Public engagement
- Interdisciplinary thinking
- Mentoring
Professional Activities
- Science communication and outreach
- Mentoring undergraduate researchers
- Laboratory management support
- Protocol development
Future Directions
Preparing for graduate studies at the intersection of: - Evolutionary biology - Philosophy of science - Science communication - Developmental biology