Dr. Basta grew up in Montana and received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology at Montana State University-Bozeman. She completed her Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin in cellular and molecular biology, where her dissertation focused on cardioviruses and their ability to thwart the host immune response. Other projects characterized the rhinovirus C viral species and its antiviral susceptibility.

Her research at Rocky Mountain College also focuses on viruses. Dr. Basta, with the help of her undergraduate cohort, uses computational methods to predict enterovirus and rhinovirus virulence, as well as antiviral drug efficacy on these viruses. Other research interests include tracking and characterization of endogenous retroviruses in fish.