Edition 2
Dr. Ann C. Gregory is a viral ecologist and bioinformatician whose research explores how viruses shape the health of humans, microbiomes, and ecosystems. Her work focuses on uncovering the diversity and ecological functions of viruses.
In December 2018, Dr. Gregory earned her PhD from Ohio State University, followed by an EMBO postdoctoral fellowship at KU Leuven in Belgium. After completing her fellowship, she worked in biotech, serving as a computational biologist at the gene therapy company, Aera Therapeutics. These formative experiences laid the foundation for her current work in viromics, viral-host interactions, and the development of computational tools for viral genome discovery and analysis. Dr. Gregory is now based in Calgary, Alberta, where she leads the Integrative Viromics Lab as an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary.
Her lab investigates how viruses shape complex microbial ecosystems by examining their ecological roles and functional impacts. Combining genome-resolved metagenomics, ecological theory, and machine learning, her lab studies virus-microbe interactions across both human-associated and environmental systems. They are developing novel wet lab assays and AI-driven tools to probe viral replication, host range, and antibody responses. Their research spans diverse ecosystems, including the human gut, vaginal microbiome, glacier meltwaters, and avian digestive tracts, connecting viral ecology to microbial evolution, immune modulation, and One Health perspectives.
Dr. Gregory is also deeply involved in science communication and public outreach. She is co-leading science in community events, in partnership with TELUS Spark Science Centre and RCIScience, to bring engaging science content to the Calgary public. Her motivation for joining the ECSC stems from a commitment to empowering early-career scientists and fostering inclusive leadership in microbiology.
Outside of academia, she enjoys collecting plants, doing jigsaw puzzles, working on screen plays, and drinking coffee, usually while thinking about viruses.
Personal website: https://www.integrativeviromicslab.com/
Twitter: @gregory_annc
Bluesky: @gregoryannc.bsky.social