Geomicrobiology
Hi, I'm Tori Cassady, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Southern California! I use mineralogy to answer geobiology, paleontology, and biomedical questions. I am co-advised by Dr. Aaron Celestian at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Department of Mineral Sciences and Dr. Kymora Scotland at UCLA School of Medicine Department of Urology. I work between these institutions. I recently completed my PhD at USC Earth Sciences working with Dr. Frank Corsetti and the geobiology group. I maintain a visiting researcher position in USC Earth Sciences.
Currently, you can find me starting my postdoc work and finishing my PhD manuscripts. I'm always looking for exciting opportunities for collaboration. If you'd like to get in contact, please email me at vcassady@usc.edu. (For now, I am still using my USC email.)
Prestkampen summit, Norway. 2022
My research interests include:
- How life builds minerals over 3.5 billion years including:
- How bacteria and archaea build their calcium carbonate fossil record.
- Mechanisms by which invertebrates such as corals construct calcium carbonate shells.
- How calcium oxalate kidney stones form in the human body.
- High (micron scale) resolution textural reconstruction in 2&3D of biogenic minerals and structures, including many microbialites, highly fragile partially lithified samples, and modern structures which can serve as fossil record analogues.
- Textural, mineralogical, isotopic, and geochemical transformation of microbial carbonates from origin, through lithification, diagenesis, and metamorphism over 3.5 billion years.
-Quantifying the resilience of chemical and textural biosignatures to diagenesis and metamorphism.
- Microbe-mineral interaction, especially using experimental approaches (e.g., isotopic tracers).
- Carbonate aqueous and mineral chemistry in fresh and marine environments, including the role of amorphous phases carbonate in biomineralizing systems.
- The fate of buried organic matter over geologic timescales.
- The ecological significance of microbialites as reef builders over Phanerozoic mass extinction intervals.
Education:
PhD (2020 - 2026)
University of Southern California Department of Earth Sciences/NHMLA
Caltech International Geobiology Course student - summer 2022
B.S. Microbiology and B.A. Biochemistry
University of Iowa class of 2020
Undergraduate Research -
University of Iowa Department Earth and Environmental Sciences (2018-2020)
Advisor: Dr. Ingrid Ukstins
University of Florida Department of Microbiology (summer 2019)
Advisor: Dr. Brent Christner
University of Iowa Department of Surgery (2016-2019)
Advisor: Dr. Ronald Weigel
Go Hawks! :)
Academic/Non-research Scholarships (Undergrad)
Latham Science Engagement Initiative Fellowship (2018)
Helen Fairall Scholarship for Chamber Music (received twice) (2018-2019 & 2019-2020)
University Study Abroad Consortium Study Abroad Scholarship (2018)
Iowa Abroad Scholarship (2018)
University of Iowa Old Gold Scholarship, Full In-State Tuition for four years (2016-2020)
Total Value Earned: $44,000