Student Information
Graduate Student
Microbiology
The College of Lib Arts & Sci
Long Bio
Emily Higgins Keppler is a Ph.D. candidate in Heather Bean's lab. Emily currently has two main research projects:
Project I: Identification of bacterial volatile compounds that inhibit fungal growth
Project II: Volatile biomarkers associated with coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) infections
Emily is using two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) to identify the volatile metabolites produced by the microbial community associated with each of these projects.
Education
Ph.D. Arizona State University - Microbiology (In Progress)
Dissertation: Volatile biomarkers for a Valley fever breath test
Advisor: Heather D. Bean, PhD
B.S. Arizona State University - Microbiology (2015) Graduated Cum Lade
B.A. Arizona State University - Anthropology (2005)
Publications
Trenton J. Davis*, Tarek R. Firzli*, Emily A. Higgins Keppler*, Matthew Richardson, and Heather D. Bean. (In Revision- Analytical Chemistry) Addressing missing data in GCxGC metabolomics: Identifying missingness type and evaluating the impact of imputation methods on experimental replication. ChemRxiv. https://doi.org/10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-v9djt-v2
Emily A. Higgins Keppler, Heather L. Mead, Bridget M. Barker, and Heather D. Bean. (2021) Life cycle dominates the volatilome character of the dimorphic fungus Coccidioides spp. mSphere 6:e00040-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00040-21
Ghazal Ebadzadsahrai, Emily A. Higgins Keppler, Scott D. Soby, Heather D. Bean. (2020) Inhibition of fungal growth and induction of a novel volatilome in response to Chromobacterium vaccinii volatile organic compounds. Frontiers in Microbiology 11:1035, pp 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01035
H.L. Mead, C.C. Roe, E.A. Higgins Keppler, M.C.C. Van Dyke, K.L. Laux, A.L. Funke, K.J. Miller, H.D. Bean, J.W. Sahl, B.M. Barker. (2020) Defining critical genes during spherule remodeling and endospore development in the fungal pathogen, Coccidioides posadasii. Frontiers in Genetics 11:483, pp 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.00483
Emily A. Higgins Keppler, Carrie L. Jenkins, Trenton J. Davis, Heather D. Bean. (2018) Advances in the application of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography in metabolomics. Trends in Analytical Chemistry 109, pp 275-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.10.015
Courses
2020 Spring
2019 Fall
| Course Number |
Course Title |
| MIC 591 |
Seminar |
2018 Spring
2017 Fall
Honors / Awards
2022 ASU Graduate College Completion Fellowship
2022 ASU Graduate College University Grant
2022 ASM AZ/S. NV Branch Meeting – 1st Place, Best Poster Presentation
2022 ASU GPSA Outstanding Researcher Award
2022 LoBrutto Family Fund Fellowship
2022 The College’s Graduate Excellence Award
2022 Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop – Multidimensional GC Poster Prize
2022 Harry Lowell Swift Advancing Health Scholarship
2021 GRSP Lightning Talk – Life & Physical Sciences Best Presenter Award
2021 ASM AZ/S. NV Branch Meeting – Runner up: Best Graduate Presentation
2021 Fusion – Marie Curie Poster Award for best use of Chemistry
Service
2022 – Present: ASM Young Ambassador to Arizona
