10/28/2025
Meet Dr. Rachel Washburn, GSBS alumna and director of the CHAOS Lab at the Kentucky Geological Survey!
From studying Russian and serving in the U.S. Air Force to earning her Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Disease at GSBS, Dr. Washburn’s journey proves that every path — even the unexpected ones — can lead to discovery.
Now she’s leading “feral science” that connects bedrock to bench to bedside, blending geology, microbiology and medicine to explore how our world shapes human health.
“If my students stay curious and inspired, and if we’re still opening doors we didn’t know existed, then we’re succeeding.”
Read her full story: https://bit.ly/washburn-chaos
When Rachel Washburn, PhD, describes her path to science, she laughs: “It makes zero sense on paper until you hear it.” Washburn, director of the Center for Geohealth and Applied Omics Studies (Washburn CHAOS Lab) at the Kentucky Geological Survey , didn’t take a conventional route to research...