Elliot Erskine

They/Them

I am queer and I am a microbiologist. //

I’m in the final year of my PhD as a molecular microbiologist and came out to my lab as transgender (non-binary) last year. It’s been difficult juggling my responsibilities as a scientist with the extra weight of dysphoria and also the baggage that comes with struggling to find acceptance in my formative years. I’m proud to have to made it to this stage and have found allies in my peers and in my supervisor. I’ve always been fascinated by microbial interactions—with hosts, other microbes, and the environment—and have been lucky enough to study biofilm development in the model bacteria Bacillus subtilis. My twitter handle is @Elliot_Erskine and my DMs are always open to any LGBT STEM humans who need it!