Rate My Professor Noha Youssef

Noha Youssef serves as Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Oklahoma State University. Her research centers on the phylum Neocallimastigomycota, encompassing anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) that play a crucial role in plant biomass degradation within herbivorous animals. The Youssef lab is actively engaged in isolating, characterizing, and genomically sequencing these fungi, elucidating their ecology, metabolic capabilities, and evolutionary history. Complementary efforts involve metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbial communities in anoxic environments, as well as investigations into the sources of harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes.

Youssef joined Oklahoma State University as a Research Assistant Professor in 2011, advancing to Assistant Professor in 2013, with reappointment in 2016, promotion to Associate Professor in 2018, and to Professor in 2021. She instructs Introductory Microbiology (MICR 2123) with an honors add-on (MICR 2890) in the fall semester, and Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics (MICR 4543/5543) in even-numbered spring semesters. Her publication record includes key works such as "Anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota): biology, ecology, and function" (2014, FEMS Microbiology Ecology), "Testudinimyces gracilis gen. nov, sp. nov. and Astrotestudinimyces brunneiniger gen. nov, sp. nov. isolated from tortoise faeces" (2023, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology), and "Anaerobic gut fungal community in ostriches (Struthio camelus)" (2025). With more than 13,500 citations on Google Scholar, her contributions to microbial ecology position her as one of the most cited scientists affiliated with Oklahoma State University. She received the Regents Distinguished Research Award in 2025 and the Student Council Distinguished Teaching Award.