Swierk Lab Members
Dr. Lindsey Swierk
Principal Investigator
Assistant Research Professor, State University of New York, Binghamton
Director of Scientific Research, The Morpho Institute
Associate Director of Research, Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies
Dr. Swierk received her BA in Biology and Environmental Science and a MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and her PhD in Ecology from Penn State. She completed a Vision and Change Postdoctoral Fellowship at Penn State and a Gaylord Donnelley Postdoctoral Fellowship at Yale University.
Graduate Students
Allie Martin
PhD Candidate
Ecophysiology of water anole diving behavior
Janelle Talavera
PhD Student
Sexual traits and speciation in water anoles (co-advised, Dr. Tom Powell)
Sophia Zaslow
PhD Student
Starting Fall 2024!!!
Undegraduate Students and Post-Bacs
Lilia Bartolotta
Biological Sciences (major), Chemistry & Environmental Studies (minor)
Peruvian fisheries
Nicholas Fasulo
Biological Sciences & Philosophy Politics and Law
Peruvian fisheries
Samantha Garnsey
Biological Sciences
Lizard visual acuity / cognition
Melina Jeune
Biological Sciences (major), Geology (minor)
Ecophysiology of diving behavior in anoles
Collin Kapusinsky
Post-bac researcher
Biological Sciences BS, 2023
Peruvian fisheries
Lyra Lu
Biological Sciences (major), Digital & Data Studies (minor)
Lizard color change
Roshan Marquez
Environmental Studies
Speciation and sexual traits in lizards
Audrey Warburton
Biological Sciences, Pre-Veterinary Concentration
Wood frog histology/physiology
Lab Alumni and their last known whereabouts
Shola (Mohammed) Akinlolu (Biological Sciences MA) Albany Medical College - MD Program
Ryn Baker (Environmental Sciences BS) Weill Cornell Medicine
Katie Bradbury (Biological Sciences BS) LIU College of Veterinary Medicine
Elizabeth Croft (Biological Sciences BS) University of Texas at Tyler - Biology MS Program
Vanessa Farrell (Integrative Neuroscience BS) Columbia University - Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Fiddi Hilmi (Biological Sciences BS) Beckman Scholars Program, Sauer Lab, Binghamton University
Collin Kapusinsky (Biological Sciences BS) Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, QA Investigation Specialist
Jaedyn Lalonde (Biological Sciences, Integrative Neuroscience BS) Penn State Ecology - MSc Program
Jake McCarthy (Environmental Science, Biological Sciences BS) Stonybrook University, Microbiology and Immunology - PhD Program
Maxwell Meadow (Biological Sciences BS) University of Queensland-Ochsner MD Program
Andrés Rojo (Biological Sciences, Spanish BS) Macaw Mountain, Bird Park and Nature Preserve, Honduras
Kelly Sisson (Integrative Neuroscience BS) Widener University Graduate School
Allison Squillante (Integrative Neuro / Biol Anthropology BS) SUNY Downstate - MD Program
Kelly Wuthrich (Biological Sciences BS) Florida International University, Biological Sciences (Ecology) - PhD Program
WALL OF FAME - Summer Research Team Members
Jane Boyer, REU 2015
Determinants of anole color change
Maria Petelo, REU 2015
Sexual signal allometry
Amber Morgan, REU 2016
Camouflage in water anoles
Jennet Chang, REU 2016
Conspicuousness of anole sexual signals
Kimberly Guo, Yale Science & QR Fellow, 2016
Thermal constraints on anole locomotion
Diana Lopera, REU 2018
Anole responses to simulated climate change
Maegan Delfin, REU 2018
Microhabitat preferences and home ranges of water anoles
Austin Carriere, REU 2018 (co-mentored)
Intersexual differences in boldness
Andrea Fondren, REU 2018 (co-mentored)
Anole responses to anthropogenic colors
Denise Ortega, REU 2019
An ethogram for water anoles
Mykel Lizama, REU 2019
Sexual signaling in water anoles
Michael-Luca Natt, REU 2019 (co-mentored)
Antipredator behavior
Janelle Talavera, REU 2019 (co-mentored)
Boldness and predation risk
Kelly Wuthrich, Binghamton SSAP 2020/1
Social drivers of anole color change
Deborah Meleiseā, REU 2021
Diel variation in lizard performance
Jada Williams, REU 2021
Sex variation in lizard locomotion
Diane Cordero, REU 2022
Microhabitat and anole dive duration
Alva Mihalik, REU 2022
Thermoregulation and refuge use
Fiddi Hilmi, REU 2022
Lizard microbiomes
Lyra Lu, Binghamton SSAP 2023
Lizard color change
Sam Garnsey, REU 2022, SSAP 2024
Visual ecology
Melina Jeune,
CSTEP 2024
Ecophysiology of diving behavior in anoles
Reba Booze,
REU 2024
Lizard microbiomes
You?
Interested in joining the water anole team? Contact the lab for summer fellowship opportunities.
The Swierk Lab is privileged to work on land that constitutes the the traditional territories of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga (Haudenosaunee) and Onundagaonoga (Onondaga) in the USA, the Tjer-di/Teribe Broram in Costa Rica, and the Maijuna and Kichwa del Río Napo in Perú.