Petra Levin is the George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. During her tenure there, she has served as the co-director of the Plant and Microbial Biosciences Graduate Program and currently serves as associate chair of Faculty Research and Development.

Dr. Levin is known for her pioneering research on bacterial growth, cell cycle regulation, and antibiotic tolerance. Her research investigates the fundamental mechanisms that control bacterial size and division, with a particular emphasis on how environmental conditions influence these processes. Dr. Levin’s lab has made significant contributions to the field of bacterial physiology, particularly in dissecting the molecular pathways that govern cell size and division in a wide range of bacteria. Her work has far-reaching implications, enhancing our understanding of basic microbial biology and informing the development of new antimicrobial strategies.

Dr. Levin began her scientific career in her home state of Massachusetts, receiving a B.A. in Biology from Williams College and a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University. Her graduate work, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Richard Losick, probed the mechanisms governing asymmetric division during spore formation in B. subtilis. From there, she conducted postdoctoral research at MIT in the lab of Dr. Alan Grossman. Since establishing her lab in St. Louis, Dr. Levin has received numerous accolades, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2005), a Fulbright scholarship in the Netherlands (2015-2016), and election to the American Academy of Microbiology (2018). Beyond her academic duties, Dr. Levin serves as an editor of PLOS Genetics and sits on the editorial advisory board of Molecular Microbiology and Current Biology.

In addition to her research, Dr. Levin is a passionate educator dedicated to making science accessible to diverse audiences. Alongside her teaching roles, she developed EnTER, a campus-wide program that provides research opportunities for underrepresented and first-generation WashU students. She also co-hosts the popular ASM podcast “This Week in Microbiology,” bringing discussions about microbiology to the public. Dr. Levin’s commitment to advancing research and science communication underscores her significant impact on the field of microbiology.

This information was adapted from:

• https://sites.wustl.edu/levinlab/
• https://www.microbe.tv/twim/twim-253/
• https://artsci.washu.edu/ampersand/levin-installed-george-william-and-irene-koechig-freiberg-professor-biology