Elias Gerrick, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Eli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at The University of Chicago.
He grew up in Orange County, California and went to UC Irvine as an undergraduate. After finishing his B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology, he moved out to Boston for his Ph.D. at Harvard University. There, he studied the molecular genetics of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Sarah Fortune’s lab. In 2018 he returned to California to join the lab of Michael Howitt as a postdoc at Stanford University, where he discovered his love for commensal protists and how these strange but powerful microbes act as key regulators of the intestinal environment. After bouncing around the coasts, Eli finally settled in Chicago where he became an Assistant Professor in 2024.
Outside of lab, Eli enjoys hiking, brewing, getting out on the water, and spending time with his wife, dog, and tortoise.
Kate McKay
Research Technician Extraordinaire
Kate is originally from the small town of Calais, Vermont and just recently graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s in chemistry. While at UW-Madison, she worked in the Forest lab studying the Type IV pili system in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. She is excited to now shift her focus towards the gut microbiome and discover what roles commensal protists can play in it. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and exploring the downtown area as a new resident of Chicago.
You?
Graduate students/postdocs
We are hiring! We are looking for motivated and curious graduate students and postdocs. Check the “Contact Us” page for details.
Igor (Eli’s dog)
Non-experimental lab animal
Igor is not the brightest member of the Gerrick Lab, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm. While he has not contributed scientifically to the lab yet, it is not for a lack of trying as he has been very generous with his poop sample donations. His favorite activities include playing and cuddling.
Shelly Silverstein (Eli’s tortoise)
Non-experimental lab animal
Shelly is one of the lazier members of the Gerrick Lab, but has contributed prominently to multiple studies on protists in the reptile microbiome. When not donating samples for the betterment of reptile-kind, her favorite activities include sleeping and lettuce.