BIOGRAPHY

David completed his PhD in the Microbiology department at Monash University in 2023 with Prof. Chris Greening, where he studied how mycobacteria adapt to starvation during dormancy, using methodology that spanned biochemistry, microbial physiology, and systems biology. During his thesis studies, David cultivated a fascination with how microbes thrive and survive in challenging environments and is now interested in applying this knowledge to tackle global challenges like antimicrobial resistance and land degradation. At Rice, David is working with Prof. Joff Silberg in the Biosciences department to apply synthetic biology tools to study and manipulate microbial consortia in soils and other complex environments. These tools will allow novel insight into microbial processes, such as horizontal gene transfer within the complex soil matrix, while also providing a platform to combat land degradation and antimicrobial resistance. In his spare time, David enjoys playing guitar and the very occasional snow day in Houston.