Jen-Pan (JP) Huang 黃仁磐 | PI

JP is an associate research fellow in the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica and a Research Associate with the Field Museum. He is a systematist focusing on the processes of evolutionary diversification in beetles and lichens. In addition, he has experiences of studying conifers, spiders, damselflies, and grasshoppers. JP's studies utilize genetic, phenotypic, ecological, and distributional data. His research products also augment natural history collections. JP received his PhD in 2016 from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan and did his postdoctoral research at the Field Museum (2016 - 2018). 

Contact Information: jphuang[at]as.edu.tw / jhuang[at]fieldmuseum.org

You can also still reach me using our old institutional email address, such as jphuang[at]sinica.edu.tw or jphuang[at]gate.sinica.edu.tw

Mentors:

• H. Thorsten Lumbsch, the Field Museum (Postdoc supervisor)

• L. Lacey Knowles, University of Michigan (PhD advisor)

• Shu-Miaw Chaw, Academia Sinica (RA supervisor)

• Chung-Ping Lin, National Taiwan Normal University (MA advisor)

• I-Min Tso, Tunghai University (Undergrad advisor)

Yi-Hsiu Kuan 官怡秀 | Admin Assistant

Project: making sure the Beechen lab does not run out of money without supervision and always collects/obtains research materials legally.

current status: stable symbiosis (since March 2019)

Le Hanh|Postdoc

I'm a fresh graduate from Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP). During my PhD,  I focused on examining the structure and microbial interactions in the guts of a fish species complex. Before PhD, I was trained as an entomologist. I'm still affiliated to the Department of Insect Systematics, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (VietNam). I’m very excited to join JP’s lab as a postdoc, switching back to entomological research. My long term research goal is to understand how biodiversity is generated, maintained, enhanced, and also lost. Currently, I’m interested in using genomic data to investigate the diversification of giant beetles.

Sammi Huang 黃讌婷|PhD Student (TIGP)

As a Ph.D. student in the TIGP biodiversity program, my research delves into biomaterial science, particularly focusing on the use of spider silk. At present, my investigations center on understanding the microbial diversity within the silk gland of the Nephila spider while also exploring the morphological plasticity and silk property of Zygiella spiders in response to changes in elevation. This multifaceted approach integrates behavioral, morphological, and molecular analyses. Ultimately, my long-term objective is to uncover profound insights into the realm of spider silk, with an eye toward its potential applications in the future.

Zong-Yu Shen 沈宗諭|PhD Student (TIGP) (SEP/2021 - FEB/2025)

I am interested in the systematics and evolution of micro Lepidoptera. I studied the taxonomy and life history of Stathmopodidae in Taiwan when doing my master study. I am applying molecular data to study the phylogeny of Stathmopodidae, especially the fern-associated subfamily Cuprininae, for my PhD research. I aim to apply molecular, morphological, and phenology data to understand the evolutionary history and biogeography for the mysterious micro insects in the future.

current position: Postdoctoral Researcher @ University of Tokyo

Max Proctor|Intern (TIIP) (MAY/2024 - JUN/2024)

I am captivated by the evolution of animal weaponry and of course beetles! During my MS at Wichita State University, I studied the plastic expression of male weaponry in the dung beetle Digitonthophagus gazella. In my summer internship at the Beechen lab, I worked on constructing a high-quality reference genome for Dynastes reidi, which can be used to map the genomes of other species in the South American lineage of the Dynastes genus. I also explored genome annotation and compared structural variations in horn morphology and coloration genes between Dynastes maya and Dynastes reidi. After my internship, I will begin my PhD at the University of Montana, focusing on the evolution of multiple weapons in single species. I will use Taiwanese members of the Cetoniinae genus Dicronocephalus to study why they have evolved both horns and extended forelimbs as weapons and plan to continue to collaborate with JP. My time in the Beechen lab was an incredible experience!

current position: PhD student @ Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana

Ming-Hsun Chou|Research Assistant (AUG/2019 - JUL/2023)

I majored in entomology and studied the molecular systematics and subspecies delineation of Taiwanese Cylindera tiger beetles during my master years. Adelgidae is another insect group that interests me. Keep learning!

current position: PhD student @ Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University

Mattia De Vivo|PhD Student (TIGP) (SEP/2019 - JUL/2023)

I’m a MsC in Natural Sciences. In my Bachelor years in Napoli (in “Federico II University”), I wrote an Italian review about a flatworm clade (Temnocephalida), while in my Master thesis in Rome (in “Sapienza University”) I reported, for the first time, various arthropods from the place I come from (Ischia). In addition to that, I participated in a European project (“Life 360 ESC”) about the monitoring of species present in Sirente-Velino Regional Park and listed in Habitat Directive.

I mostly work with zoological systematics, taxonomy and parasitology. I don’t feel like I have a “favourite” group, although now I’m focused on hairworms (phylum Nematomorpha) and their ability to infect different arthropod hosts.

current position: Postdoctoral Scientist @ Universität Trier

Guan Jie Phang|Master Student (SEP/2020 - JUL/2022)

My research interest is every interesting things about mycophagous beetles included systematic biology, evolutionary, and behavioural ecology. Now, I'm studying taxonomy of Erotylidae in Taiwan.

current position: Research Assistant @ Kaohsiung Medical University

Brett Morgan | Research Assistant (JUN/2019 - MAR/2021)

My interests lie at the intersection of geography and evolution – how topography and climate influence biodiversity patterns and exert selection pressure at varying levels of biological organization. Here at Academia Sinica, I’m excited to learn more about sequencing methods and bioinformatics, as we work to explore evolutionary patterns in beetles using genomic data. Tweet me at @vagr_ant

Brett's website: https://brett-morgan.weebly.com/

current position: Research Technician @ Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD

Yao-De Sang|Undergrad intern (summer 2020 @ BRCAS)

Project: Morphological divergence between sky island populations of Lucanus miwai

current status: host-switched

current position: Master student @ Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University

Yi-Zhen Chen|Undergrad intern (summer 2019 @ BRCAS)

Project: Sequencing and assembling mitochondrial genomes from two Hercules beetles (Dynastes; Scarabaeidae)

Study interests: Ecology & Evolution, integrative pest management, genetics, entomology, parasitic wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths, endosymbiotic bacteria

current position: Research Assistant @ Department of Plant Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology

Samantha Kish-Levine|REU student (summer 2018 @ Field Museum)

Project: Genetic and secondary metabolite diversity in soil Xanthoparmelia lichens

current status: host-switched

current position: PhD student @ Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago

Kendra Autumn|REU student (summer 2017 @ Field Museum)

Project: Speciation continuum and the multi-dimensionality of biological diversification in Xanthoparmelia lichens

current status: host-switched

current position: PhD student @ Biology Department, University of Utah