Edna Chiang

PhD Candidate

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences l Department of Bacteriology

Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI

Edna Chiang is a PhD Candidate in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program at UW-Madison. She is fascinated by hibernating mammals because they experience extreme changes in diet and physiology throughout the year. Edna studies the complex relationship between hibernators and their gut microorganisms to understand how this contributes to successful hibernation. She completed her BS at the University of Michigan in Microbiology and Spanish. As a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, a Wisconsin Idea STEM Fellow, and a Life Sciences Communication minor, Edna is passionate about microbiology and science communication.

Talks:

• Hibernators and their Microbes

  Hibernating mammals and their microbes experience extreme changes in diet and physiology, which inspires exciting questions. How is hibernation different from sleeping? How do hibernators and their gut microbes work together to the survive the winter? And what does any of this have to do with space travel?