EEB alumna named to Popular Science “Brilliant 10”
Popular Science magazine has named Katia Koelle (U-M EEB Ph.D. 2005), an assistant professor at Duke University, one of The Brilliant 10 for 2014.
Each year, Popular Science undergoes a six-month selection process to recognize the most inspired young scientists and engineers in North America – researchers whose ideas will transform the future, according to the magazine.
Koelle models how viruses mutate and spread in order to predict why emerging diseases turn deadly – and how to best contain them. Koelle’s advisor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan was Professor Mercedes Pascual.
After a one-year postdoc at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University, she joined the Duke University Biology faculty in 2007.
“People don't usually become scientists expecting fame, glory or to have a line of sneakers named after them,” according to the magazine. “But we at Popular Science believe that scientists are the true celebrities of our time. Their contributions enhance our lives and stretch our imaginations. For the 13th year, Popular Science honors the brightest young minds reshaping science, engineering, and the world.”
