Tom Chao
Graduate Student

About me
I earned my B.S. in Microbiology from University of Washington in 2022, where I conducted undergraduate research in the Greenberg Lab studying social cheating in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following graduation, I worked as a research assistant in a zebrafish laboratory investigating early microglial development and migration, and later taught A-level biology as a tutor. These experiences helped shape my interests across microbiology, developmental biology, and science education.

Current research interests
I am currently pursuing a PhD in Biology at Georgia Tech, where my research focuses on social cheating and microbial interactions in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. Specifically, I study the heterogeneity of clinical isolates and how microbial interactions influence cooperative and cheating behaviors within complex microbial communities.