Research Interests
Research in my lab is focused on investigating patterns of change underlying animal diversity. We employ a wide range of experimental approaches to explore the molecular genetic relationship between genotype and phenotype from both developmental and evolutionary perspectives. Current work in the lab primarily use cultures of the lobate ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi as a model. Evolutionary investigations extending from analysis of this model include work with a broad range of organisms and their genomes.Education
| 2003 | Ph.D. Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology, University of Chicago |
| 1994 | B.A. Biological Sciences, University of Chicago |
Professional Experience
| 2009 - | Assistant Professor, Biology Department, University of Miami |
| 2007 - 2009 | Assistant Researcher, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii |
| 2003 - 2007 | Postdoctoral fellow, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii |
Honors & Acknowledgements
2011-present, Smithsonian Institution, Research Collaborator.
2006-07, NAS/NRC Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship
2003-06, NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship.
2003, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Postdoctoral Visiting Scientist award.
2000-04, Smithsonian Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program Grant.
2011 University of Miami SEEDS Award
2011 University of Miami Provost Award
2007 NSF IOS-0718975.
2007 NIH 1 R03 HD054621-01A1 (coPI)
2006 NAS/NRC Ford Postdoctoral Fellow.
2003 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Postdoctoral Visiting Scientist award.
2003 NSF DBI-0310269 Postdoctoral Fellow.
2000-2004 Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program Grant.
1999, NASA Life Sciences Grant (NAG-6033, PI-Nipam H. Patel, symposium grant).
Developmental Biology and Evolutionary Biology
Publications
ao, D., Lai, A. G., Stamataki, E., Rosic, S., Konstantides, N., Jarvis, E., Di Donfrancesco, A., Pouchkina-Stancheva, N., Semon, M., Grillo, M., Bruce, H., Kumar, S., Siwanowicz, I., Le, A., Lemire, A., Eisen, M. B., Extavour, C., Browne, W. E., Wolf, C., Averof, M., Patel, N. H., Sarkies, P., Pavlopoulos, A., Aboobaker, A. A. "The genome of the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis: a model for animal development, regeneration, immunity and lignocellulose digestion" 5, e20062.001 (eLife. 2016). [Link]
Presnell, J. S., Vandepas, L. E., Warren, K. J., Swalla, B. J., Amemiya, C. T., Browne, W. E. "The presence of a functionally tripartite through-gut in Ctenophora has implications for metazoan character trait evolution" 2814-282026 (Current Biology. 2016). [Link]
