Rebecca Vega Thurber Explained

Rebecca Vega Thurber
Birth Date:December 30, 1975
Birth Place:Phoenix, AZ, US
Field:Marine biology and microbiology
Work Institution:Oregon State University
Alma Mater:

Rebecca Vega Thurber (born December 30, 1975) is an American microbial ecologist and coral reef scientist.[1] She is the Pernot distinguished chair of microbiology at Oregon State University since 2020.[2] She is a team leader of the Tara Pacific expedition[3] and co-producer of the coral reef documentary Saving Atlantis.[4]

Scientific career

Vega Thurber was awarded a US National Science Foundation Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue postdoctoral research at San Diego State University under the supervision of Forest Rohwer in coral virology and microbiology. Her first faculty appointment was as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Florida International University. She subsequently moved to Oregon State also as an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology, where is an associate professor holding the Pernot distinguished chair.[5]

Research

Vega Thurber started her research career as a developmental biologist studying apoptosis in early embryogenesis in the model invertebrate organism, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. It was during her postdoctoral years, when she switched her focus to coral reef science and coral viruses and bacteria in particular. She uncovered that corals contain unique assemblages of viruses that are involved mediating coral reef health. In those early years, Vega Thurber adopted the use genomic and bioinformatic approaches to her research enabling metagenome and microbiome-based inferences. As a faculty member she expanded collaborations with marine ecologists, Deron Burkepile, Erinn Muller among others. Those collaborations led to the discovery of major roles microbial assemblages play in coral reef environments. Her standing as a world expert in coral microbiology led her to be appointed as one of the lead scientists of the Tara Pacific Expedition.[6] Vega Thurber is a member of the NSF Long Term Ecological Research Network in Moorea, Tahiti.[7]

Mentorship

Vega Thurber has mentored ten Ph.D. students and eight postdocs. She has mentored dozens of undergraduate students in marine microbiology.

Awards and professional service

Selected publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lab Vega Thurber United States. 2021-02-21. vegathurber. en.
  2. Web site: 2021-01-05. Pioneering 'coral doctor' named Pernot Distinguished Professor. 2021-02-21. College of Science Oregon State University. en.
  3. Web site: soixanteseize. 2016-04-13. Explore to understand, share to bring about change. 2021-02-21. Fondation Tara Océan. en-US.
  4. Web site: 2017-01-20. Corals at OSU Oregon State University. 2021-02-21. Corals at OSU. en.
  5. Web site: 2021-01-05. Pioneering 'coral doctor' named Pernot Distinguished Professor. 2021-02-21. College of Science Oregon State University. en.
  6. Web site: soixanteseize. 2016-04-13. Explore to understand, share to bring about change. 2021-02-21. Fondation Tara Océan. en-US.
  7. Web site: Rebecca Vega-Thurber Moorea Coral Reef LTER. 2021-02-21. mcr.lternet.edu. en.
  8. Web site: Dr. Rebecca Vega-Thurber Department of Microbiology Oregon State University . 2022-03-16 . microbiology.oregonstate.edu . en.

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