Honors & Awards

  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship-Geobiology, National Science Foundation (2019)
  • Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Doctoral Fellowship, Stanford University (2017)
  • Biosciences ADVANCE Summer Institute Fellowship, Stanford University (2017)
  • Robert E. Thomas Merit Award, California State University, Chico (2017)
  • Outstanding Student in Microbiology, California State University, Chico (2016)
  • Provost’s Undergraduate Award for Research and Creativity, California State University, Chico (2015)

Professional Affiliations and Activities

  • Member, American Society for Microbiology (2015 - Present)
  • Member, American Geophysical Union (2021 - Present)

Education & Certifications

  • B.S., California State University, Chico, Microbiology (2016)

Contact

  • Academic
    mbrown68@stanford.edu
    University - Student Department: Department of Earth System Science Position: Graduate

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 4216

Links

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

My research focuses on sterol side chain alkylation via sterol methyltransferases (SMTs), particularly in sponges and their bacterial symbionts. I aim to identify and characterize SMTs necessary for the biosynthesis of side-chain alkylated sterols in the sponge holobiont to improve our interpretation of unusual sterane biomarkers currently used to indicate demosponges, some of Earth’s earliest animals. I’m also interested in exploring the potential for sterol side chain alkylation in the bacterial domain more broadly, given that this process is thought to occur only in eukaryotes.

All Publications