Meet Dr. Rachel Washburn,
Director of the CHAOS

Tactical roots, scientific fire

I’m Dr. Rachel Washburn—veteran, scientist, and unapologetically feral founder of the Washburn CHAOS Lab. I spent years as an intelligence officer in Air Force Special Operations, where I learned how to think fast, move precisely, and never flinch in the face of a challenge. Now I bring that same mindset to science—only with more microbes and more metal.

Now based out of the Kentucky Geological Survey, I lead research at the intersection of geology, microbiology, and human health. My work sits at the intersection of geology, microbiology, and human health. My team uses omics and geospatial tools to map cave microbiomes, uncover extremophiles, and investigate how Earth’s systems influence both microbes and medicine. We're here to find what others overlook—and make it matter.

My path to where I am now is pretty nonstandard—and honestly, that tracks. I earned a B.A. in Russian Language and Area Studies with a minor in Military Science from Texas Tech, then served active duty in the Air Force. After years in special operations, I shifted gears from ending lives to extending lives—picked up the science credits I never thought I’d need at Utah Valley University, then earned my PhD in Biomedical Sciences (concentrating in immunology and infectious disease) from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. My dissertation? "Preventing Transplant Rejection One Testicle at a Time." I went on to teach anatomy and microbiology at Ivy Tech, and now I run my own lab—where I do feral, metal-fueled science that’s useful and unapologetically real. It’s a strange, gritty, winding road—but it led exactly where I’m meant to be.

But this work isn’t just academic—it’s personal. I’ve survived trauma, abuse, and adversity that could have broken me. Instead, it forged something stronger: a heart for service, a deep belief in lifting others through the storm, and more determination than ever to do work that actually matters. I built this lab not just to chase data, but to create a space where curiosity thrives, resilience is non-negotiable, and science is raw, real, and loud.

I ride with Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), standing with kids who are surviving the unimaginable—helping them reclaim power, safety, and voice. I also serve as a youth leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, mentoring teens as they navigate life, faith, and identity. I believe in protection, purpose, and people.

I’ve got a sharp, fire-hearted teenage daughter. I'm married to an incredible and brilliant geochemist (our dinner table’s a chaotic fusion of data, rocks, and sarcasm). And, I have a service dog named Ripley—named, obviously, after the Ellen Ripley from Aliens. I throw down in CrossFit because cave crawling, gear-hauling, and smashing through limestone demand strength—and I don’t plan on slowing down.

I don’t fit the usual mold—it's never really been my thing. I ride motorcycles, sequence to Slipknot, explore national parks like they’re sacred ground, hit metal festivals, host horror movie marathons, and subsist on energy drinks. I believe in fieldwork, faith, and ferocity. And I built this lab for people who don’t want to just study the world—they want to change it.

If you’re into bold research, field-tested grit, and science that doesn’t apologize for being loud—welcome to the CHAOS. You’re one of us already.