Lab Members

Principal Investigator: Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy*, Ph.D. (she/her)

*aka "Dr. KT"

Dr. KT is an associate professor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University). She earned her doctorate at Oregon State University and conducted post-doctoral research at Cornell University before coming to Cal Poly Humboldt. Her research program focuses on the evolution of amphibians across multiple scales, from genes to development to behavior. She is interested in the evolution of vertebrate populations and teaches a variety of courses in biology, including Genetics, Evolution, and Animal Development.

Email: karen.kiemnec (at) humboldt.edu

Office: 104 Science C

Mailing Address: Department of Biological Sciences

Cal Poly Humboldt

1 Harpst Street

Arcata, CA 95521 USA

For more information about Dr. KT's professional background, including a full list of publications, you can check out her Google Scholar, ResearchGate or LinkedIn profiles.

Current Lab Members

Marcus B.

Marcus is an undergraduate majoring in Zoology who is researching amphibian genetics.

Ashe H. (he/they)

Ashe is a Master's student in Biology who is researching the genes expressed in olfactory neurons in plethodontids.

Emmery P. (they/them)

Emmery is a Master's student in Biology (co-advised with Dr. Sharyn Marks) researching the larval ecology of Pacific newts in northern California.

Kendall P. (she/her)

Kendall is a Master's student in Biology researching plethodontid salamander chemical communication.

Graduate Student Lab Alumni

Sun Lanzilli - Graduated in Spring 2024 with a Master's Degree in Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt. Thesis title: "Comparing Alternative Developmental Modes: Ultrastructure and Gene Expression in the Olfactory System of Plethodontid Salamanders"

Emily Gremling - Graduated in Spring 2024 with a Master's Degree in Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt. Thesis title: "Comparative Morphology and Ultrastructure of Olfactory Epithelia in Plethodontid Salamanders: Effect of Life History Variation"

Marilyn Sandoval - Graduated in Fall 2023 with a Master's Degree in Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt. Thesis title: "Batrachochytrium and Ranavirus Prevalence in Southern Torrent Salamanders (Rhyacotriton variegatus) of Northern California"

Luisa Segovia - Graduated in Fall 2022 with a Master's Degree in Biology from HSU. Thesis title: "Investigating the genetic diversity of immune genes in non-native populations of American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana)"

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