Team

W. Chris Funk, Principle Investigator

Pronouns: He/him

Email: Chris.Funk@colostate.edu

Twitter: @fieldgenomics

Current Positions:

• 2023-present: Director, AmphibiaGen, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

• 2018-present: Full Professor, Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

• 2016-present: Director, Global Biodiversity Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Education:

• 2006-2007: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Geneticist, GS-11), USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR (Advisor: Susan M. Haig)

• 2004-2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas, Austin, TX (Advisors: Michael J. Ryan and David C. Cannatella)

• 1997-2004: PhD, University of Montana, Missoula, MT (Advisors: Fred W. Allendorf and Andrew L. Sheldon)

• 1992-1994: BA (Phi Beta Kappa honor society), Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (Advisor: Frederick M. Cohan)

• 1990-1992: Reed College, Portland, OR

Link to CV: CV (updated May 2024)

Research Interests: Conservation and population genomics; evolutionary ecology; adaptive divergence; freshwater ecology; tropical ecology, evolution, and conservation; evolution and ecology of infectious disease.

Other Interests: Trail running, hiking and backpacking, birding, "iNaturalizing", whitewater kayaking, snorkeling streams and rivers, fly fishing, exploring wilderness.

Mackenzie Woods, Lab and Collections Manager

Pronouns: She/her

Email: Mackenzie.Woods@colotate.edu

Education:

• 2021-2022: MS, University of California, San Diego (Advisor: Ron Burton)

• 2017-2021: BS, University of California, San Diego (Cum Laude) 

Research Interests: I'm a molecular ecologist interested in defining population structure, particularly in data deficient species, and in studying how a species' environment shapes that population structure. I am particularly interested in applying these questions to marine organisms.

Other Interests: I spend much of my free time in the gym improving my Muay Thai skills, but can also be found cooking and accumulating too many crafting materials for my own good.

Coby McDonald, Postdoctoral Fellow

Pronouns: They/them

Email: Coby.McDonald@colostate.edu

Education:

• 2021-present: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (Advisors: W. Chris Funk and Sue VandeWoude)

• 2014-2021: PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Advisor: Kelly R. Zamudio)

• 2010-2014: DVM, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

• 2003-2007: BA (Magna Cum Laude), Scripps College, Claremont, CA

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in how hosts respond to infectious disease, whether over the course of infection or in the course of evolution. I am particularly interested in integrating this knowledge into conservation regimes and One Health approaches.

Other Interests: I engage in all of the cliched Colorado sports (skiing, gravel biking, climbing) while listening to podcasts about avoiding dystopia (Octavia's Parables, 10/10 would recommend).

Scott Monahan, PhD Student

Pronouns: He/him

Email: scott.p.monahan@gmail.com

Education:

• 2020-2024: BS, San Diego State University (Advisor: Arun Sethuraman)

Research Interests: I am interested in how population and landscape genomics can best inform management strategies of endangered and invasive species. I'm particularly interested in defining species identity and understanding how threatened populations are responding to anthropogenic stressors.

Other Interests: I love spending my weekends camping, climbing, birding, and scuba diving. On nights in, I enjoy hosting board game nights with my friends.

Elena Newmark, PhD Student

Pronouns: She/her

Email: newmarke@bu.edu

Education:

• 2024-present: PhD Student, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

• 2013-2018: BA (Cum Laude), Boston University, Boston, MA

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in the mechanisms of adaptation to environmental change. I am especially passionate about amphibian biology and conservation as their complex life cycles lend themselves to inhabiting a broad range of environments and their populations are being severely impacted by many factors such as climate change and disease.

Other Interests: My primary hobby is West Coast Swing dancing but I also love most outdoor activities (running, hiking, climbing). If I'm home, you would be likely to find me baking pastries or knitting.

Kat Stroh, MS Student

Pronouns: She/her

Email: katherine.marie.stroh@gmail.com

Education:

• 2023-present: PhD Student, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

• 2016-2021: BS/BA (Summa Cum Laude), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (Advisors: Cameron Siler, Marcelo Rioseco)

Research Interests: I am interested in amphibian disease ecology, quantifying the effects of climate change and human activity on amphibian declines, and temperate and tropical conservation. My current research explores the impacts of climate change on the composition of anuran communities and prevalence of amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd).

Other Interests: I enjoy listening to music, exploring new places, working out, and anything food-related (eating, cooking, baking, watching cooking shows).

Shanelle Wikramanayake, PhD Student

Pronouns: She/her

Email: Shanelle.Wikramanayake@colostate.edu

Education:

• 2023-present: PhD Student, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

• 2016-2020: BS University of Washington, Seattle (Advisor: Jeanne Robertson)

• 2020-2023: MS (Honors) California State University, Northridge (Advisor: Adam Leaché)

Link to Website: https://shanellewiks.github.io/

Research Interests: I am interested in understanding how organisms respond to changes in climate while navigating fragmented landscapes. I am particularly excited to study this in tropical ectotherms and integrating genomic, physiological, and behavioural approaches.

Other Interests: I enjoy hiking, swimming, diving, exploring rainforests, as well as nature photography, and jewellery making.