Patrick Stillson

I am a USDA NIFA postdoctoral fellow in the Gerardo Lab at Emory University, where I study insect–microbe interactions. My research explores the eco-evolutionary dynamics among insects, their microbial symbionts, and the plant pathogens they vector.

Using the Anasa tristis–Caballeronia system, where insects acquire their obligate symbionts from the environment each generation, I examine how host performance shifts under environmental stress. By integrating field collections with microbiological, molecular, and genomic approaches, I aim to:

1. Understand how different microbial symbionts affect the benefits conferred to insect hosts under stress.

2. Investigate how microbial symbionts influence insect fitness and their capacity to transmit plant pathogens.