Principal Investigator
Nina Overgaard Therkildsen, PhDAssistant Professor
Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University Email: nt246[at]cornell.edu Faculty Fellow, Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future Member, Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics (3CPG) Member, Cornell Center for Vertebrate Genomics |
Postdocs
Jessica Rick, PhDEmail: rick.jessica[at]cornell.edu
Website: http://jessicarick.com/ Jessi is broadly interested in the evolution of biodiversity and using genomic data to study the influence of environmental conditions on patterns of intra- and interspecific diversity. As a postdoc, she is using a combination of common garden experiments, genomic data, and simulations to better understand the genomic architecture of local adaptation in Atlantic silversides. In particular, she is interested in better understanding the mechanisms by which chromosomal inversions contribute to specific traits involved in local adaptation. |
Graduate Students
Maria AkopyanMaria is broadly interested in ecological and evolutionary genomics. Currently, she is working on characterizing the genomic architecture of local adaptation in Atlantic silversides, with a focus on describing structural variation between locally adapted populations and identifying genomic regions that underlie adaptive traits.
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Carl St. JohnCarl is interested in the evolutionary genetics of trait variation and applying this interest to aid conservation and management of polar and temperate fisheries. He has worked in the North Pacific, Bering Sea, Southeast Alaska, and Lake Baikal studying fisheries ranging from Sea Cucumbers to Oilfish. His PhD research centers around species delimitation and genetic mechanisms underlying spawning variation in New York's only endemic fish: the Summer Sucker.
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Jaime Ortiz PacharEmail: jdo53[at]cornell.edu
Jaime is interested in conservation genomics. Currently, he is working on developing tools to improve the accuracy of meta barcoding for species identification on eDNA and aquaculture feeds. He is very passionate about conservation of the natural environment and strongly believe that genetic tools can play a more prominent role to drive more sustainable policies around the world.
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Azwad Iqbal
Email: ari22[at]cornell.edu
Azwad is interested in evolutionary genomics and conservation, with particular focus on invasive species and rapid evolution. His experience spans molecular ecology and vector neurogenetics, working in African savannas and with mosquitoes. His PhD research focuses on using population genomics to understand the rapid adaptation of invasive American shad to their new habitats on the Pacific coast of North America.
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Liam ZarriLiam studies the impact of rapid evolution on ecological processes in applied systems. His professional experience spans coastal streams, large rivers, lakes, intertidal marine systems, and kelp forests. His PhD research at Cornell is focused on two projects: (1) parallel rapid genomic evolution of smallmouth bass in response to harvest, and (2) the evolutionary impact of dams.
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Heath CookHeath is interested in marine biomonitoring and developing methods to overcome the ever-present difficulties in sampling biodiversity on the continental shelf, particularly in regions of the world with reduced marine research infrastructure and budgets. He is currently investigating environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding in marine systems as a tool for the detection of continental shelf biodiversity.
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Lab Manager
Lab Alumni
Anna Tigano, PhD (postdoc)Current: Postdoc, University of British Columbia
Website: annatigano.weebly.com |
Diana Baetscher, PhD (postdoc)Current: Research geneticist, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Website: dianabaetscher.wordpress.com |
Jonathan Velotta, PhD (postdoc) |
Arne Jacobs, PhD (postdoc)Current: Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
Website: arnejacobs.com |
Nicolas Lou (PhD student)Current: Postdoc, UC Berkeley
Nicolas is broadly interested in the application of genomic tools in the conservation and management of biodiversity. Currently, he is working on the genomic basis of local adaption in Atlantic cod, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying its rapid evolution in response to size-selective fishing and climate change. In addition, he is also developing practical molecular tools for the species and sex identification in non-model species, for the benefit of management agencies and the aquaculture industry.
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