Heather Olins
Associate Professor of the Practice
Heather Olins
Ph.D.
Contact
Higgins Hall 444A
Telephone: 617-552-2890
Email: heather.olins@bc.edu
ORCID 0000-0002-9176-3569
Education
- B.A., Wesleyan University
- M.A., Wesleyan University
- Ph.D., Harvard University
Courses
Ecology & Evolution, Deep Sea Biology and Microbiomes
Research Interests
microbial ecology, marine microbiology, chemosynthesis, geobiology, biogeochemistry
Department
Research
We live on a microbial planet, and the roles that microbes play in everything from global biogeochemical cycles to human health are only just beginning to be understood. I am interested in how the inorganic world influences microbial community composition, structure and function; and simultaneously, what impact does chemosynthetic microbial activity have on the surrounding environment and other microbial communities? Using tools such as high throughput genetic sequencing, co-registered chemical measurements, metabolic rate measurements, microscopy, colonization samplers, and laboratory experiments, I work towards a better understanding of these questions in deep sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems as well as local freshwater wetlands.
I teach the foundational Ecology and Evolution course, upper-level courses related to ecology, microbial ecology, and marine biology as well as an advanced experience lab course where students will gain research experience in these fields.
Selected Publications
- Weekly Flow: an Effective Organizational Tool for Structuring Biology Courses and Supporting Student Learning HC Olins - Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 23 (3), e00108-22, 2022
- Olins H, Rogers D, Preston C, Ussler W, Pargett D, Jensen S, Roman B, et al. (2017). Co-registered geochemistry and metatranscriptomics reveal unexpected distributions of microbial activity within a hydrothermal vent field. Frontiers in Microbiology 8: 1042.
- Gartman A, Picard A, Olins H, Sarode N, Clark D, Girguis P (2017). Microbes facilitate mineral deposition in bioelectrochemical systems. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00042
- Olins H, Rogers D, Frank K, Vidoudez C, Girguis, P. (2013). Assessing the influence of physical, geochemical and biological factors on anaerobic microbial primary productivity within hydrothermal vent chimneys. Geobiology, 11: 279-293.
- Frank K, Rogers D, Olins H, Vidoudez C, Girguis P. (2013). Characterizing the distribution and rates of microbial sulfate reduction at Middle Valley hydrothermal vents. ISME Journal, 7(7): 1391-1401.