Meet the Lab

Sarah McMenamin, she/her

Principal Investigator; Associate Professor

ResearchGate; ORCID orcid.org/0000-0002-1154-5810

I did my undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College, where found a love for Biology and lab research. As a PhD student In Elizabeth Hadly's lab at Stanford University, I studied population variation in Ambystoma salamanders. Transitioning to focus on a model organism as a postdoc in David Parichy's lab at the University of Washington, I researched developmental effects of thyroid hormone and other endocrine factors on zebrafish development. I started my lab in the Boston College Biology Department in January, 2017. Our lab asks fundamental questions about the roles of thyroid hormone and other molecular factors in sculpting the vertebrate skeleton.

Dr. Melody Autumn, they/them

Researcher

harpermh@bc.edu, @theheelygirl on Twitter

I received my BS in biology from the University of Northwestern St. Paul in 2017. During my undergraduate, I researched memory and behavior of iridescent swimming crabs, worked to elucidate the anatomy of seahorse organ systems, and studied the resident orcas in the Puget Sound. In the McMenamin lab, I am researching the effect thyroid hormone has on development. Outside of lab, I can be found weight lifting, playing underwater hockey, or reading philosophy.

Eric Surette, he/him

PhD Candidate

surettee@bc.edu

I received my BS in Biology from Ithaca College in 2016. During my undergraduate, I worked in the lab of Dr. Te-Wen Lo, studying the evolution of sex determination mechanisms. Specifically, I looked at the evolution of X-chromosome dosage compensation across Caenorhabditis species. In the McMenamin Lab, I am interested in the pathways and regulatory mechanisms that drive skeletal development, patterning, and regeneration. Outside of lab, I can be found cooking, running, or acting onstage.

Crisvely Soto Martinez, she/her

Research Technician

crisvely.sotomartinez@bc.edu

ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3148-2059

I received my BS in Biology, Psychology, along with a Chemistry minor from University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2023. As an undergraduate, I worked with the McCusker lab on characterizing nerve-dependent regenerative skeletal growth in Ambystoma mexicanum. In the McMenamin lab, I’m looking at signaling pathways affecting vertebrae skeletal development. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me spending time with my family, watching anime, or begging my dog not to steal another sock.

Rachel Ruggera, she/her

Research Technician

ruggera@bc.edu

I completed my BS in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies at Boston College in 2023. During by time at BC, I studied the effect of White-nose Syndrome in little brown bats and bat ecology in urban populations in Massachusetts. I worked in the Kenaley Lab in my fourth year as an Undergraduate Research Fellow studying the evolution of wing morphology in the insect order Lepidoptera. At my study abroad program in Madagascar focusing on biodiversity and natural resource management, I researched critically endangered wetland birds, specifically the behavior and diet of the Madagascar Pochard. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy playing the cello in orchestra and chamber music groups, writing short stories and poetry, and spending time outdoors.

John Gabelmann

PhD Student

gabelmaj@bc.edu

Dr. Nicolás Cumplido Salas

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Toshiaki Uemoto, he/him

Postdoctoral Researcher

I completed my undergraduate degree at Tokyo University of Science in Japan, where I developed a keen interest in organ regeneration. During my initial research in Dr. Naoyuki Wada's lab, I studied the polarity of fish fin regeneration. For my graduate studies at Tohoku University, I joined Dr. Koji Tamura's lab and focused on how fish fins retain their original shapes during the regeneration process. In the McMenamin Lab, I am working on elucidating the mechanisms of positional information in fin regeneration. Outside the lab, you can often find me swimming like a fish in the campus pool.