Dr. Jessica L. Metcalf

Dr. Jessica L. Metcalf is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in ancient DNA methods to explore questions in ecology, evolution, conservation, forensics, and history. Her research focuses on extracting and analyzing DNA preserved in various materials such as bone, teeth, hair, and soil to uncover insights about the past. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Georgia (2000) and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado (2007). Dr. Metcalf received training in ancient DNA techniques during her postdoctoral research at the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA in Adelaide, Australia. Since joining Rob Knight's lab in 2011, she has studied the ancestral human gut microbiome through microbial DNA found in ancient fecal material and investigated the role of microbes in decomposition, contributing valuable knowledge to forensic science. She teaches the course "Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome."