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.