My name is Megan DuVal, and I am a Biology major with an emphasis in Ecology, Evolution and Environment and a Mathematics minor at the University of Utah. I work in Dr. John Longino’s lab and Dr. Rodolfo Probst’s SRI stream, where I use phylogenomics, Nanopore sequencing, biogeographic analyses, and morphology to study the evolution and classification of the army ant genus Labidus. I became involved with army ant research my freshman year, when I worked on a project studying the flight seasonality of bizarre army ant males, a.k.a. “sausage flies.” I have been fascinated by army ant biology and evolution ever since. After graduating from the U, I plan to pursue a PhD in ant systematics and evolution and become a professor or a research scientist at a natural history museum, allowing me to continue investigating insect evolution. When not looking at ants, I enjoy hiking and camping, baking, reading sci-fi, and playing piano.

Army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae) are top predators throughout most tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Their nomadic colonies and cooperative social hunting make them behaviorally and ecologically unique keystone species of conservation concern, vulnerable in areas affected by habitat fragmentation. Conservation efforts are hampered by outdated species-level taxonomy, which hasn’t been updated since the 1950s for many genera. For Labidus, a widespread, ecologically important army ant genus in the Americas, there are currently seven valid species recognized solely based on morphology of workers and/or males. Three species are only based on males, which need to be associated with workers, and within the four primarily worker-based species, there are likely cryptic species. To address these issues, we applied cutting-edge phylogenetics and phylogenomics to update the species-level taxonomy. To construct our phylogenetic tree, we used ultraconserved elements (UCEs) from 21 specimens, 66 COI barcodes from the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD), and 78 new COI barcodes obtained through in-house Nanopore sequencing. We found that Labidus contains at least 13 species and that all of the previously recognized wide-ranging species are made up of multiple cryptic species with more restricted ranges. We were able to associate all three previously identified male-based species with their respective workers. We have also found patterns of parallel and sympatric biogeography across multiple Labidus clades. Our UCE+Nanopore approach allows for an updated taxonomy of Labidus, leading to a better understanding of its evolutionary history and a better ability to promote its conservation. 

Owen Chan Lab, Department of Internal Medicine

In the current study, we examined how acute increases in plasma glucose influence lactate production in the VMH and whether these changes contribute to peripheral lactate elevations. Prior studies suggest that rising plasma glucose levels may drive both local and systemic lactate increases; however, the precise origin of this rise remains unclear. Our findings aim to delineate the mechanisms underlying this relationship and clarify the extent to which VMH lactate production contributes to peripheral lactate dynamics. 

This is a continued project on my prior hypoglycemic research, but looks more in depth at the hyperglycemic side and potential influence of lactate in relation to the "Alternate fuel Hypothesis" 

Both will be presenting together. They both research opioid overdose reversal drug awareness and perceptions in the University of Utah Emergency Department.