Kristen Whalen
Kristen Whalen
She/Her/Hers
Associate Professor of Biology
KINSC S314
(610) 795-6042
kwhalen1 [at] haverford.edu
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Education

B.S., University of North Carolina - Wilmington

Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

National Science Foundation International Postdoctoral Fellow - University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Scripps Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

I have a broad interest in organismal physiological responses that regulate chemical tolerance (i.e., anthropogenic and marine natural products), and windows of cellular vulnerability of marine organisms to environmental chemical stress. My work aims to understand the molecular and cellular adaptations organisms use to cope with chemical threats in an ecological context. My research program takes an integrative approach using molecular, cellular, biochemical and metabolomic techniques to address how marine organisms have adapted and respond to their chemical environment. Currently, students in the lab are exploring chemically-mediated interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria that may influence bloom dynamics. In addition, I take an ecologically-inspired approach to help guide the discovery of novel marine-based pharmaceuticals. My innovative search for molecules to reverse drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria has benefited enormously from understanding the natural history of chemical interactions in the marine ecosystem. Since joining the Biology Department at Haverford, I am excited to take a leading role in helping students to explore new ideas, evaluate the world around them, and realize their full potential in the sciences.

My expertise ranges from cellular/molecular biology, biochemistry, toxicology, physiology, ecology, and marine natural product isolation. I have given over >50 scientific presentations, lectures, webinars, and posters; and serve as a reviewer for 18 peer-reviewed scientific journals and governmental funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and an invited Editor for Frontiers of Microbiology.

For more information on my research endeavors, funding, student researchers, and publications, please click here.

Please check out the Haverford Bio Hub website for the latest student and faculty news, research opportunities, and events.

Lab Meeting Schedule: Fall 2022 are at 9am on Fridays in Sharpless S416

Biology's Commitment  to DEI Efforts: Our department is committed to the success of all students, specifically including students who are underrepresented in STEM (Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Peoples). These lives — Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Peoples— matter. Click here for more information! Also check out the BioStudent Group website for resources for Haverford Biology Students.