Outreach

The Amato Lab participates in many outreach activities in the greater Chicago community. These activities engage the public in our research and teach students about the microbiome.

– At Futures Unlimited Workshops, we have presented microbiome modeling activities, led virtual lab tours, and shared at-home activities for middle school girls interested in STEM.

– At Expand Your Horizons Workshops, we have led activities on primatology and fieldwork, as well as DNA sequencing. This event is dedicated to inspiring middle school girls to pursue a career in STEM.

 While local high schoolers participated in remote learning in 2020, The Amato Lab participated in virtual workshops and Q&A sessions that exposed students to “a day in the life of a STEM-tist.”

 As a part of the virtual Darwin Day Roadshow in 2021, members of the Amato Lab presented an in-class workshop on the microbiome as well as a keynote address to students, parents, and faculty at a high school in New Jersey.

 Katie was featured as a guest speaker at the 4th Annual MIT-Harvard Microbiome Symposium in March 2019.

 In March 2016, Katie gave a public talk about gut microbes at the Skokie Library. She was also invited by AT&T and National Geographic to present her perspectives on technology, science, and finding a career path at AT&T’s Annual High Technology Day.

 Katie gave a TED talk at TEDx Jackson Hole in October 2014. Watch it here!