Thomas A. Stewart, Ph.D. (he/him)
PI
I am an evolutionary and developmental biologist interested in explaining broad patterns of morphological diversity. My work spans a number of fields (developmental biology, paleontology, and functional morphology), and my goal is to establish an inclusive laboratory that can support scientists from all backgrounds.
Michelle C. Gilbert, Ph.D. (she/her)
postdoc
My research primarily focuses on contributing to our understanding of shape evolution and the processes that promote, or constrain, shape diversity. I am particularly interested in why certain regions of morphological space are occupied, while other regions exhibit obvious lacunae. I use a combination of techniques to answer my questions, including geometric morphometrics, comparative methods, staining, and photography.
Yunyan Mo
PhD student in Biology
My undergraduate work focused on paleontology, specifically comparative anatomy and systematics of Paleozoic ray-finned fishes. For my PhD, I am interested in combining developmental biology with the fossil record to understand the origination of novel traits in early vertebrates.
Ayesha Iqbal
PhD student in Biology
My Master’s research was based on elucidation of cis-regulatory regions in transcriptional mediator gene using comparative sequence analysis and functional approaches. As a PhD student, I am concerned about understanding the evolutionary origin of adipose fin by analyzing the genes and the developmental modules involved in the growth and shaping of the fins.
Alex Kwiatkowski
undergraduate researcher
I am a third-year student majoring in Biology, with my main interests including evolution, ecology, and wildlife conservation. Additionally, I am interested in the German language and culture, as I am also working towards a German minor.
Gabriella Esposito
undergraduate researcher
I am currently a Biology major on the pre-medicine track. My main interests include evolutionary development, pediatrics, and neurology!
Rachel Lexon
undergraduate researcher
I am a senior Biology major and Equine Science minor, with my main interest being equine reproduction. I’m currently working on a project involving canine reproduction through evaluating mammary tissues and litter size.
lab alumni
Evan Buck, lab manager 2022-2023
Ciara Woodburn, undergraduate researcher 2022-2024
Sophia Emkey, undergraduate researcher 2023