PI-Barton

Dr. Hazel A. Barton is a Professor and Director of the Integrated Bioscience Program at the University of Akron.

Her research is geared toward understanding microbial interactions and adaptations to starvation in cave environments, which has been funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), US National Institutes of Health, and the US National Park Service. Dr. Barton also investigates the role the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans plays in the White-nose Syndrome epidemic in bats, which has been funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Her research has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Forbes, National Geographic Explorer, Outside, Science News, The Scientist, Popular Mechanics, Wired, Geo and The Smithsonian magazines, in the book Extreme Scientists: Exploring Natures Mysteries from Perilous Places, on NPR and BBC Radio, on Animal Planet, the History Channel, National Geographic, the CBS Early Show, BBC TV and in the IMAX movie Journey into Amazing Caves. Dr. Barton is also an avid caver, having explored caves on six continents, is a director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and past-director of the National Speleological Society (NSS), and an award-winning cave cartographer.

Dr. Barton is currently a Fellow of the National Speleological Society, a Kavli Fellow of the US National Academy of Science, and Chair of the Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology. Dr. Barton is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award and the Alice C. Evans Award from the American Society for Microbiology.