Bio
Kevin Foster is Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Oxford. He has a joint appointment between the Department of Zoology and the Department of Biochemistry.
Research
The lab applies ecological and evolutionary approaches to the study of microbes and the microbiome. The challenge with studying microbial communities is that they contain many evolving and interacting species, which makes them difficult to understand and predict. We combine theory with experimental work to break down this complexity. The lab has a particular interest in the ways that bacteria fight, using toxins and other means, to invade and persist in communities. We also study the ecological networks formed by interacting bacteria, with the goal of predicting and manipulating gut communities for better health.