Students

A'liya joined the lab as part of the University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). They explored how pigment cells are organized in different-colored patches of the skin of dart frogs, and how this changes as color pattern develops in jovenile frogs. After two years as a UROP intern A'liya stayed on as a research assistant, and is working on a project aimed at imaging poison glands and other skin microstructures using µ-CT scanning. 

Kyle undertook a research internship in the lab through UMich's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). His work focused on evaluating the effect of recent climatic fluctuations on the dynamics of a color pattern cline in poison-dart frogs. Kyle is currently pursuing a Bachelors in Earth and Environmental Sciences at U of M. 

Chris was an research intern under the University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) after transferring to UMich from Grand Rapids Community College. His work in the lab contributed to the development of genome editing protocols, especially CRISPR-based knockouts, in poison frogs. Chris moved on to become a research technician at UMich's EEB department, working on flower color evolution and speciation. 

Zoe was a summer intern in the lab while she studied Math and Science at Washtenaw Community College. Durring her internship she worked on refining embryo handling and rearing protocols for CRISPR genome editing in poison frogs. After her internship Zoe transferred to the University of Michigan to pursue a Bachelors in neuroscience.

Rachel conducted her undergraduate thesis in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity at the University of Michigan. Her project focused on the effects of carotenoid and Vitamin A supplementation on the growth and development of Phyllobates vittatus tadpoles in captivity, and produced key information to improve our husbandry practices  for this and other species. This work was published in Zoo Biology in 2024, and is also available as preprint. Rachel is currently an animal caretaker at Turtle Creek Farm in Southeastern Michigan, and plans to start veterinary school in the near future. 

Jonathan was an research intern under the University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Throughout his year in the lab, Jonathan population genetic tools to understand the drivers of genetic and color variation among populations of Phyllobates terribilis in Southwestern Colombia. He moved on to work as a research assistant at UMich's Ross School of Business.

As an undergraduate at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Kaylin spent the summer of 2018 taking X-ray images and scoring osteological characters of fixed poison frog specimens at the Field Museum of Natural History as part of an effort to generate a large dataset that will help us understand the evolution of poison frog skeletal morphology. Since then, Kaylin has held many cool jobs, from government planning to big cat keeper at a few animal sanctuaries. 

Olivia undertook her senior thesis in Environmental Sciences at the University of Chicago, asking whether preserved frog specimens in natural history collections can be used as bioindicators of past levels of agrochemical contamination, focusing on Leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) in Illinois and Wisconsin. Once she completed her Bachelors, Olivia moved West to become a researcher at Pacific Hybreed in Seattle, WA.

Madison volunteered taking care of our poison frog captive colony in 2017 when she was an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, and helped standardize tadpole rearing protocols for developmental studies. After graduating Madison became a Center for Disease Control Public Health Advisor at the Minnesota Department of Health. 

Valeria studied the evolution of neurotoxin resistance in snakes of the genus Erythrolampus that feed on a variety of poison frogs in Northern South America for her Masters at Universidad de los Andes. Her  project uncovered some fascinating results, which she is still working on. After finishing a (second!) Master's in scientific communication at the University of Barcelona, Valeria joined the Integrative Biology PhD program at UC Berkeley.

Santiago's senior thesis at Universidad del Quindío aimed to understand the role of predation pressures on the evolution of polytipism in the aposematic poison frog Andinobates bombetes. This work was published in 2018.  He moved on to a position as administrative assistant at the Natural History Collection of Universidad del Quindío.