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Liz Borda, PhD
Liz Borda, PhD
Principle Investigator
Associate Professor - Biology
Graduate Program Coordinator - Biology
Research Interests:
Systematics & Phylogenetics
Cryptic Speciation
Biogeography
Evolution in Extreme Environments
Graduate
Graduate
Marco Rodriguez
Marco Rodriguez
Spring 2026 - Present
Bachelor's of Science, Biology 2025 - TAMUSA
Project: Biodiversity Assessment of Canyon Lake using Environmental DNA
J Alfaro
J Alfaro
Coming Soon - Fall 2026
Bachelor's of Science, Biology 2026 - TAMUSA
Project: Using Genomic Tools to Assess the Feeding Preferences of Freshwater Fish of the San Antonio River
Will Farris
Will Farris
Coming Soon - Fall 2026
Project: Mitogenomics of Cave Crustaceans of the Yucatan Peninsula
Former Lab Members (But not forgotten!)
Former Lab Members (But not forgotten!)
Postoc
Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez, Ph.D.
Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez, Ph.D.
Project: Using speleogenomics to elucidate flooded cave biodiversity.
Ph.D., Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston (2022)
Now: Assistant Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University
Graduate
Graduate
Gabrielle Vaughn
Gabrielle Vaughn
Project: Insights into Subterranean Connectivity within the Aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula: Population Genetics and Distribution of Typhlatya species
Bachelor's of Science, Biology 2021 - TAMUSA
Master of Science, Biology (2021 - 2024)
Now: Research Technician, Southwestern Research Institute
Highlight: Best Student Research Presentation (Graduate), A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2022)
Bernard Mbithi
Bernard Mbithi
Project: Diversity and Mitogenomics of Chloeia species from two biodiversity hotspots
Master of Science, Biology (2024 - 2026)
Now: Biology Teacher, (TBD)
Highlights: Second Place, Graduate Oral Presentation, JAGRise, A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2026); First Place, Graduate Oral Presentation, JAGRise, A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2025); People's Choice Award, 3 Minute Thesis, A&M-SA (2024)
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Connor Grizzle
Connor Grizzle
Bachelor's of Science, Biology
Project: Transcriptomics of Typhlatya Shrimp in response to salinity change
Highlights: First Place, Undergraduate Oral Presentation, JAGRise, A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2026)
Now: Applying to Medical School
Peyton Sinks
Peyton Sinks
Bachelor's of Science, Biology
Project: Mitogenomics of Amphinomidae (Annelida: Amphinomida)
Danielle Bragg
Danielle Bragg
Bachelor's of Science, Biology
NSF Scholarship in STEM research undergraduate
Project: Transcriptomics of Typhlatya Shrimp in response to salinity change
Highlights: First Place, Undergraduate Research Presentation, A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2024); Distinguished Undergraduate Scholar (2024)
Now: MS Student, Stephen F. Austin State University
Muntadher Mashaan
Muntadher Mashaan
Bachelor's of Science, Biology
NSF Scholarship in STEM research undergraduate
Project: Metagenomics of benthic metazoa from anchialine caves
Highlights: First Place, Undergraduate Oral Presentation, JAGRise, A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2025)
Now: Applying to Medical School
Grace Tindall
Grace Tindall
Bachelor's of Science, Biology 2021
Project: Diversity of the cosmopolitan fireworm, Eurythoe
Max Sahi
Max Sahi
Bachelor of Science, Biology 2024
Project: Mitochondrial genome of Remipedia
Gabrielle Silva
Gabrielle Silva
Bachelor of Science, Biology 2023
Project: Mitochondrial genome of Remipedes
Highlight: Best Student Research Presentation (Undergraduate), A&M-SA Student Research Symposium (2022)
Omar Carillo
Omar Carillo
Bachelor's of Science, Biology 2021
(Suma Cum Laude)
Project: Comparative Transcriptomics of Anchialine Cave Shrimp
Highlight: Master of Science, Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2023),
Now: Ph.D., Univesity of Texas (2023 - Present)
Cody Campbell
Cody Campbell
Bachelor of Science, Biology 2022
Project: Comparative Transcriptomics of Anchialine Cave Shrimp
Nancy Benavidez
Nancy Benavidez
Bachelor of Science, Biology 2020 (Suma Cum Laude)
Project: Comparative Transcriptomics of Anchialine Cave Shrimp
Highlight: Best Student Research Presentation, SACNAS 2020
Danielle Nunez-Gonzalez
Danielle Nunez-Gonzalez
Project: Genetic Data Collection of Amphinomidae
(2019-2020)
Bachelor's of Science, Biology (2020)
Erica Rios
Erica Rios
Project: Genetic Data Collection of Echinodermata and Amphinomidae
(2019)
Bachelor's of Science, Biology (2019)
Lina Caballero
Lina Caballero
Project: Genetic Data Collection of Amphinomidae
(2019)
Bachelor's of Science, Biology (2019)
Vanessa Labrier
Vanessa Labrier
Project: Genetic Data Collection of Paleomonidae Shrimp
(Spring 2019)
Graduate Students (Graduate Committee Member)
Graduate Students (Graduate Committee Member)
Lauren Ballou, Ph.D.
Lauren Ballou, Ph.D.
PhD, Marine Biology 2021
Texas A&M University Galveston
Dissertation: Assessing the biogeographic distribution of anchialine cave fauna using Typhlatya (Crustacea: Atyidae) and Remipedia (Crustacea) as model taxa.
Now: Assistant Professor, Berea College
Image: www.berea.edu
Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez, Ph.D.
Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez, Ph.D.
PhD, Marine Biology 2022
Texas A&M University Galveston
Dissertation: Characterizing the ecosystem function and biodiversity in the anchialine caves of the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and marine caves of Belize.
Now: Postdoc, Texas A&M University San Antonio
Visiting Researchers
Visiting Researchers
Postdoc, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal
Collaboration: Physiology and gene expression in anchialine cave shrimp, Typhlatya, of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Shari Rohret
Shari Rohret
Ph.D. Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Collaboration: Metabarcoding of benthic eurkaryotes from anchialine caves of Mexico
Jerry Kudenov
Jerry Kudenov
Professor Emeritis, University of Alaska Anchorage
Collaboration: Morphological evaluation and phylogeny of Amphinomida (Annelida)
Universidade Federal do Amazonas
Collaboration: Morphological evaluation and phylogeny of Amphinomida (Annelida)
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