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Below you will find mentor bios and project descriptions for the 2018-2019 academic year. You will be paired with one of these fantastic scientists to conduct research on the project described.
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Disclaimer: We make every effort to match you with a project closest to your interest but cannot promise you one of your top 5 projects. I do promise that every single one of our projects and mentors is amazing and you will have a phenomenal experience.
Mentors Class of 2019
Life Science
Lu Yao, Mammalogy
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Island Biogeography, Physical Anthropology
Project: The Island Rule has captured scientists’ attention for over a century and refers to an evolutionary process whereby large-bodied animals become smaller and small-bodied animals become larger on islands due to a combination of resource limitations, competition, and predation. The validity of this rule has been examined extensively by analyzing large datasets across mammals and other vertebrates. Recently, scientists have been debating whether or not the Island Rule is actually universal. However, more analyses comparing individuals within species or between species need to be performed to fully understand the Island Rule. Therefore, the SRMP students will be working with me on a project collecting body size data from mammalian museum specimens at AMNH, performing a literature review, and analyzing the data (coding using R) to examine the generality of the Island Rule. Bio: My interests in evolutionary biology and physical anthropology began when I started watching the TV show Bones in college. Since then, I’ve pursued research in the field of evolutionary biology. My work focuses on primates and other organisms from Southeast Asia. Specifically, I use ancient DNA and morphological traits collected from museum specimens to answer a variety of questions surrounding the colonization of islands, biogeographic patterns, natural hybridization between species, shape and size changes on islands, and species relationships. Additionally, because of the endangered statuses of many organisms in this region, my research has conservation implications. |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Paul Sweet, Ornithology
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Conservation, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Systematics, Taxonomy
Project: How can we use museum specimens and archival data to produce a historic snapshot of bird diversity and map the expeditions of early 20th century scientists? Learn how to be a biological specimen detective and produce online data visualizations. The AMNH Whitney South Seas Expedition spent a dozen years from 1920 to 1932 traveling around the Pacific Ocean collecting some 40,000 bird specimens from over 600 islands, the longest ornithological voyage in history. Although these specimens are critical to our understanding of the biodiversity of the region almost none of them have associated geographic coordinates. We will work to discover geographic information for the bird specimens collected on this expedition. We will examine bird specimens and their original labels; consult the hand-written catalogs and the unpublished field journals, as well as various online and published sources. This hands-on research work will generate data that can be used not only by the students to learn GIS applications, but will also be archived in our database and be available to all researchers with an interest in the Pacific. Once we have obtained our georeferenced locality data we will work with colleagues from Carto, a Brooklyn based digital mapping group, who will guide us in the use of their mapping program. We will learn how to visualize our data to generate an engaging and informative digital map showing the WSSE route with links to specimen records and historic photographs. The previous year’s SRMP students studied the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. This year we will be working on Samoa and Tonga. |
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Bio: I grew up in England and have been fascinated by natural history for as long as I can remember. I have always collected specimens and as a child even had a museum in my bedroom, so working in the bird collections at the AMNH is a dream job. I studied Zoology at university and have been working in the Ornithology Department for 26 years. Every day I am amazed by the vast collections that I manage and overwhelmed by the daunting task of caring for these treasures.
Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Fridays.
Anthony Caragiulo, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
Keywords: Ecology, Conservation, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics and Genomics Project: Coyotes (Canis latrans) have greatly expanded their range in the recent past and are now abundant throughout nearly all North America, having recently colonized highly urbanized areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto. Coyotes are well established to the north of NYC but have recently migrated into NYC's dense urban matrix and have been captured in parts of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Genetic studies on canids (coyotes, wolves, dogs) have revealed extensive interbreeding between these species causing changes in the physical appearance of these hybrid individuals. Eastern coyotes look different compared to their western counterparts due to interbreeding with wolves, and it’s been noted that some NYC coyote individuals have “dog-like” appearances. The hypothesis is they are interbreeding with domestic dogs in the area and this is underlying a more “dog-like” appearance. This study will examine key physical features of coyote skulls from across their range to determine if NYC coyotes have different skull shapes that can be explained by interbreeding. We will use the AMNH Mammalogy collection and create 3D representations of coyote, wolf, and domestic dog skulls to examine their similarity to NYC coyote skulls from recently euthanized individuals. Students will learn about geometric morphometrics, morphology, statistics, and gain experience in using programming languages (mainly R) for statistical analysis. |
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Bio: I am a research scientist and the Assistant Director of Genomic Operations of the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics at AMNH. My main interests are conservation genetics and population genetics of vertebrates. I spend most of my time researching large carnivores (i.e. pumas, jaguars, snow leopards, tigers) using noninvasive techniques (i.e. scat, scent sprays, hair). I’m really interested in using new noninvasive methods for understanding how these carnivores use the landscape. I’m also interested in using genetics to answer ecological questions, such as (1) how long has an organism been in an area? (2) what’s their colonization pattern? (3) what landscape features drive their genetic and population structure/diversity? I am also interested in using museum collections for historic and ancient DNA to examine past genetic patterns.
www.researchgate.net/profile/Anthony_Caragiulo
www.researchgate.net/profile/Anthony_Caragiulo
Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Darice Westphal, City University of New York
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Ecology, Conservation
Project: The project I am currently developing will focus on deforestation in Madagascar. Deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate in Madagascar and is the cause of declines in many species, particularly primates. In order to understand how conservation efforts have influenced deforestation rates, forestation patterns from protected and unprotected areas from several years will be analyzed and compared. During this project, participants will code in R and develop graphical representations of forest change over time. Participants may be interested in this project if they want to learn more about coding in general, are curious about how fast deforestation is occurring, or love maps. Below are some examples of maps I have made with code in R. Bio: I am a PhD candidate at CUNY that studies genetic connectivity in small, nocturnal primates as a consequence of habitat fragmentation. All my lab work is completed, so I am currently focused on bioinformatics. I work in the Education Department (AMNH) teaching the Human Origins and the SRMP Summer Institute. I also teach physical anthropology to undergraduates at Hunter College and Lehman College (both CUNY). My background is in physical anthropology, with an emphasis on genetics. If you get me to say “joke”, you will hear my Wisconsin accent. http://daricewestphal.student.nycep.org/ |
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Mike Tessler, Richard Gilder Graduate School at AMNH
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Ecology, Conservation, Genetics and Genomics
Project: Rapid detection of aquatic invasive species in upstate NY,an environmental DNA approach This project is focused on rapid and advanced detection of aquatic invasive species that threaten the upstate NY’s natural resources, economy, and human health. In brief, we will use environmental DNA (eDNA) – DNA fragments from myriad organisms that exist in environmental samples – for detection of aquatic invasive species (plants, animals, and microbes). This will also help us determine the distributions of native species that may be at risk of local reductions or extinctions due to invasive species. The project will allow students to conduct lab work and then analyze the large next generation sequencing datasets we produce. Bio: I am a next generation naturalist, studying the evolution and ecology of understudied organisms using advanced molecular techniques. I treasure time spent in nature or in the lab with unusual critters, plants, and microbes. While modern scientists typically specialize on a single question or a single group of organism, I am happiest asking many questions on many organisms. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher working in genomics at AMNH and NYU. |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Fridays.
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David Kizirian, Herpetology
 David Kizirian and Nguyen Quang Truong somewhere in the Annamite Range of Vietnam
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Systematics
Project: Students working with me assist in the discovery of new species of lizards by examination of collections resulting from recent fieldwork in poorly known tropical ecosystems. This year’s team will focus on a previously unstudied collection of lizards (Gymnophthalmidae) from Peru and Bolivia. We will collect morphological data to identify candidate new species and may confirm with molecular markers. Because this research is focused on species, students will also seek answers to the question: “what is a species?” Bio: I have been interested in lizards and snakes since childhood and I still consider fieldwork to be the most rewarding aspect of being a biologist. Most of my research has focused on species-level diversity of poorly known groups, especially Gymnophthalmidae from South America. Working at the level of species has also compelled me to investigate the theoretical side of how biologists in general recognize units of diversity. More recently, I have been exploring models to explain the evolution of toxic species and their non-toxic mimics. I also teach biology classes at LaGuardia Community College, including College Now classes for high school students. |
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Richard Baker, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics & Genomics
Project: This project will examine the molecular variation associated with functional differences in spider silk. Silk is one of the most important biomaterials on the planet. While silk production has evolved independently several times among arthropods, it is best known for its critical role in spider ecology and evolution. Many spider species, particularly orb-web weavers, produce numerous different types of silk that originate from a series of specialized glands and that serve different specialized functions such as web construction, prey capture, prey wrapping, and egg encasement. Despite the evolutionary and applied significance of silk, little is still known about the molecular evolution of silk proteins. In this project, SRMP students will determine the gene sequence of different silk proteins for a species of garden spider and examine the pattern of genetic and genomic evolution among these silk genes. Specifically, we will focus on questions regarding adaptive variation in gene copy number and the pattern of gland-specific silk production. This research will involve dissections of silk glands, molecular techniques associated with both RNA and DNA sequencing, and bioinformatic computer analysis. Bio: After receiving my PhD in 1999, I conducted postdoc research at University College London and the Joint Genome Institute (near San Francisco, CA). I joined the Sackler Lab at AMNH in 2007 and have been mentoring SRMP students for the past nine years. I live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. |
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Claudia Wultsch, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, Bioinformatics Core Infrastructure Laboratory, and Panthera
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Conservation, Ecology, Genetics and Genomics
Project: Exploring wildlife microbiomes – an alternative perspective on animal ecology and health: With growing human populations expanding into natural habitats, research on wildlife microbiomes (i.e. collective genomes of thousands of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microbial species) and their function associated with animal health, physiology, and indirectly with habitat quality and environmental stress, represents a new frontier in wildlife science. Rapid advances in high-throughput sequencing technology have made it possible to profile microbiomes at high resolution and to efficiently study the composition and functions of complex microorganismal communities living in and on wildlife. Presently, however, microbiome studies focusing on wild animal populations are rare. This research project aims to study different microbiomes (e.g., gut, skin) in free-ranging carnivores (e.g., coyotes in NYC, American black bears, bobcats). In addition to providing important baseline information on carnivore microbiomes, we will also explore alternative applications of this research approach to aid ongoing health, conservation and management efforts. What to expect: This project is great for everybody who has an interest in carnivore ecology and conservation and the application of innovative DNA methods to study them. Students will be helping with various tasks of this research project:
+ Additional data analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and R + If time allows, students will also help with lab work
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Bio: I am a research fellow with the Bioinformatics Core Infrastructure Laboratory (CUNY Hunter College/Weill Cornell Medicine) and Panthera and an associated researcher with the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History. I have a broad interest in ecology and conservation of carnivores occurring across fragmented and human-dominated landscapes. During the last 15 years, I have implemented and continue to drive forward a range of different research projects in the Americas, Europe, and Asia addressing ecology, conservation and health related questions focusing primarily on mammalian carnivores (e.g., jaguars, snow leopards, coyotes). I apply cutting-edge technologies and innovative research approaches in the field and laboratory to gather valuable information on wildlife species of conservation concern to ultimately improve conservation and management planning.
And I love dogs!
For more information, check out my twitter page: http://twitter.com/claudiawultsch
And I love dogs!
For more information, check out my twitter page: http://twitter.com/claudiawultsch
Brian Shearer, Anthropology
Keywords: Physical Anthropology
Project: The semicircular canals are a series of three interconnected, fluid filled space in the inner ear that function to help coordinate balance in mammals. These structures have been studied in adult mammals, but few studies have been conducted on the change in the shape or size of the semicircular canals throughout the life sequence of any group of mammals. For this study, we will be examining the semicircular canals in primates. Our main study group will include gorillas, chimpanzees, and a series of different species of monkeys, which we will examine using CT and MRI scans of whole animals from the AMNH and other collections. The goal will be to determine if there are significant changes in the shape or size of the semicircular canals in these primates through different life stages, and if these possible changes can inform us about the evolution of different patterns of primate movement. To determine if there is potentially any evolutionary significance to our findings, we will also include CT scans of extinct fossil primates for comparison. Primates are a particularly good study group for this project as 1) they exhibit many different forms of locomotion, 2) these locomotor patterns have evolved multiple times in different evolutionary lineages, and 3) primate infants and juveniles have to move in different ways than their adult counterparts because of the complexity of living in trees. Finally, we will use a technique called 3D geometric morphometrics to describe the shape changes among animals. |
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Students will receive training in the theory of generating surface and CT/MRI scans, will actively participate in rendering and segmentation of scans, will learn detailed human and comparative primate anatomy, will be instructed on how to manipulate and manage data sets, and will be taught basic morphometrics and relevant statistics.
Bio: I'm a Ph.D Candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center studying human and non-human primate evolution. Most of my research involves fossils or the study of extant primates through comparative anatomy. Recently I've begun to incorporate technology such as CT and MRI scanners to better understand the evolution of primates in a non-destructive manner, and am always excited to incorporate new technology into an old field. I teach several courses at different CUNY campuses, and human gross anatomy at the NYU Medical School. I also am actively involved in paleontology fieldwork, and am lucky to get to spend my summers in Colombia, where I am part of the La Venta paleontology project.
Bio: I'm a Ph.D Candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center studying human and non-human primate evolution. Most of my research involves fossils or the study of extant primates through comparative anatomy. Recently I've begun to incorporate technology such as CT and MRI scanners to better understand the evolution of primates in a non-destructive manner, and am always excited to incorporate new technology into an old field. I teach several courses at different CUNY campuses, and human gross anatomy at the NYU Medical School. I also am actively involved in paleontology fieldwork, and am lucky to get to spend my summers in Colombia, where I am part of the La Venta paleontology project.
Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Thursdays.
Jackie Lacey, Anthropology
Keywords: Cultural Anthropology
Project: This year, I am inviting SRMP students to join in on a project I began in 2011 looking at the way plants and animals are utilized by people in North Sudan to make medicinal products. The practice of making medicines from animals based on traditional cultural and environmental knowledge is called zootherapy. My project is an investigation in which zootherapeutic practices are part of contemporary Sudanese Traditional Medicine and which practices may have their roots in practices we can learn about from archeological sites that might be hundreds or thousands of years old. The part of Sudan that I work in is an island in the middle of the Nile River, which is isolated from the cities and is an area where Western biomedical practices are less available. You can help me figure out how the knowledge of a place that people have developed over generations is paired with new knowledge gained by people in an ever-changing world to create belief systems and medical practices that contributes to peoples sense of health and well-being. I also explore the way zootherapy helps us to understand the way people and animals form relationships and how humans view animals as part of the natural world (and vice versa!) |
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Bio: Jacklyn Lacey works in African and Pacific Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History. Her recent work is exploring the intersections of infectious disease epidemiology, medical anthropology and anthropocene studies. A webinar discussion organized by AAA on the anthropologists’ role in Ebola is available on YouTube. Her work at AMNH analyzes museum discourses on African culture and technology. She has a background in virology and medical anthropology, previously working in public health education in Tanzania, HIV/AIDS testing and research at African Services Committee in Harlem, and in Drew Cressman’s NSF-funded immunology lab at Sarah Lawrence College.
Peter Galante, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation
Keywords: Bioinformatics, Conservation, Ecology
Project: New York City Coyote Movement Pattern Analysis: New York City is the most densely populated metropolis in the United States. Yet amazingly in the past few years, coyotes (Canis latrans) have moved into parts of the city and are thriving. We want to learn how they are using this human-dominated landscape, and learn more about the possibilities of human-coyote interactions or conflict. Researchers working with the Gotham Coyote Project have caught three coyotes in NYC and attached GPS tracking collars. These collars have been sending us data of their locations and movement since February! We are gleaning massive amounts of data that needs to be analyzed. Together, SRMP students and I will examine the movement patterns of these coyotes from the downloaded GPS data. For movement pattern analyses, the tools I generally use include GIS software programs, statistical coding software, and imagery from NASA satellites. For more information on Gotham Coyote and how our high school students have contributed to this research, please check out the links below: http://mentalfloss.com/article/88744/how-scientists-are-using-poop-study-new-york-citys-coyote-population https://urbancoyoteinitiative.com/new-york-citys-citizens-are-collecting-coyote-scat-for-science/ https://youtu.be/KqWrRIKF5mg Bio: I am a Biodiversity Informatics Specialist in the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in the Museum. I am interested in trends in animal and plant distribution and diversity. This means that I combine large datasets of plant and animal information with environmental data like climate to see patterns across landscapes. This involves sometimes mining data from old sources, or using state of the art satellite imagery. I am also interested in the ecology and natural history of the Northeastern US, including the plants and animals that live here. |
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Julia Arenson, Anthropology
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Physical Anthropology
Project: The Old World monkeys are a diverse group of primates that live across Asia and Africa, and today include the most successful and widespread primates (with the exception of humans, of course). The macaques are the most widespread of these, and range from tropical environments in Indonesia and the Philippines to the snowy regions of northern Japan. Macaques are also unusual among Old World monkeys because they have a maxillary sinus (empty spaces inside the bones of the skull)—which humans have, but other Old World monkeys do not. Previous research has suggested maxillary sinuses may be related to the size and shape of the nasal cavity, which warms and humidifies air before it reaches the lungs, which is especially important for organisms living in cold environments. In this project, we will test for the presence of a relationship between the maxillary sinus and the dimensions of the external face in macaques living in cold environments (Macaca fuscata), and compare those results to macaques living in warm environments (M. fascicularis) to see if the environment has an effect on maxillary sinus size and in turn, how that may be influencing cranial shape in these monkeys. SRMP students will learn how to manipulate and take measurements on computed tomography (CT) scans of these two species to measure both internal and external features of the skull, and use the R programming language to run statistical tests and present their data. |
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Bio: I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2015, and now I’m a PhD student at the CUNY Graduate Center and a member of the New York Consortium for Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP). I’m interested in the evolution of the Old World monkeys, a diverse group of primates that live in Africa and Asia, and in particular, their biogeography—how their current and past geographic distributions have shaped their evolution. Through the museum, I have access to collections of living and fossil primates that I study to learn about how space and time together influence the diversity of monkeys we see today and in the past.
Marcelo Gehara & Arianna Kuhn, Herpetology
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Keywords: Bioinformatics, Biogeography, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology
Project: The island of Madagascar is classified as one of the six major biodiversity hotspots of the world. This means that the island has many species found nowhere else on earth, but also that this region and its extreme species richness is highly at risk from habitat loss. By documenting new species and studying how these new species formed, we can better predict future threats biological diversity in the tropics. Madagascar is often referred to as a “natural laboratory” for studying such topics because it has been isolated from mainland Africa for a long time and possesses a diverse array of sharply contrasting biomes across a compact landscape (about the size of California!). In particular, the snakes of Madagascar make up a large proportion of the vertebrate diversity on the island but are drastically understudied in comparison to other species groups, such as lemurs and frogs. This project will entail the critical steps taken in the processes of documenting and describing new species to science. The focal group for this description is the genus Madagascarophis, otherwise known as the Malagasy cat-eyed snake – a beautiful nocturnal snake that ranges in color pattern from solid gold to mottled silver to nearly black across its large range. Currently, DNA sequencing has been performed on 65 tissues collected from across the island over the past 30 years. Students involved in this project will spend time photographing and examining these specimens in order to identify external characteristics (such head shape, body size, and color pattern) that can be used to distinguish novel taxa using statistics and geometric morphometrics. Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about computer programing as they examine genetic diversity across the island and help identify major biogeographic factors that have driven speciation. Lastly, students will generate their own estimates of historical and future species distributions for Madagascarophis, to determine the amount of overlap in suitable habitat between previously identified and novel species within this group. The project will involve the write up of a formal species description that will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal, with participating students as co-authors. |
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Marcelo's Bio: I am a biologist with broad interest in Evolution and Biogeography. My research is centered on deciphering biological diversity and understanding the processes that generate it. To do that I use Evolutionary Theory, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics. Most of my work is focused in herpetology and historical biogeography of the Neotropics, but I have also studied amphibians and reptiles from different parts of the globe.
Arianna's Bio: I am a graduate researcher at the AMNH & City University of New York who loves amphibians and reptiles. I started working in lab studying the evolutionary relationships of geckos in Africa as an undergraduate and fell in love with doing field work and helping to describe new species to science. As my work in the lab progressed, I knew that I wanted to continue to conduct research that would ultimately help explore and conserve unique biological diversity but exploring its origins and stability through time. Now, I am nearing the final stages of my Ph.D. project, which focuses on understand diversification in a group of charismatic snakes endemic to the island of Madagascar. You can learn more at ariannakuhn.com
Arianna's Bio: I am a graduate researcher at the AMNH & City University of New York who loves amphibians and reptiles. I started working in lab studying the evolutionary relationships of geckos in Africa as an undergraduate and fell in love with doing field work and helping to describe new species to science. As my work in the lab progressed, I knew that I wanted to continue to conduct research that would ultimately help explore and conserve unique biological diversity but exploring its origins and stability through time. Now, I am nearing the final stages of my Ph.D. project, which focuses on understand diversification in a group of charismatic snakes endemic to the island of Madagascar. You can learn more at ariannakuhn.com
Dagmawit Abebe Getahun, Paleontology/Anthropology
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Physical Anthropology, Systematics, Taxonomy
Project: Gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada) are monkeys that are only found in the highlands of Ethiopia, East Africa. These monkeys are unique both in terms of their behavioral and physical characteristics. They are the world’s only grass-eating monkey. They are also one of the most terrestrial primates known, second only to humans. For a long time, it has been recognized that geladas live in northern (Semien Mountains National Park surroundings) and central (Guassa region) Ethiopia. Several researchers in the 19th and 20th century have considered these two populations as two separate subspecies; Theropithecus gelada gelada in the north and Theropithecus gelada obscurus in the central highlands. However, there have been no formal research efforts to analyze the physical characteristics of these two populations of geladas. This project will be one of the first attempts to scientifically examine the physical differences between the northern and central gelada populations. As a result of their unique dietary adaptations, geladas have a very distinctive skull. Because of this, we will investigate the differences between the two populations of geladas by studying their skulls. We will analyze 3D surface scans of gelada skulls and use a method called 3D geometric morphometrics to evaluate whether there are any differences between the two populations and if there are differences, we will then quantify them. Based on our results, we will discuss about whether these populations should indeed be different subspecies and other similar taxonomic issues. Students will receive training in cranial anatomy, primate taxonomy, 3D surface scanning (using the Artec Space Spider) and processing as well as an introduction to 3D geometric morphometric methods. |
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Bio: My name is Dagmawit (Dag) and I’m a PhD candidate at the City University of New York. My research is mostly focused on studying the evolution of Old World Monkeys, particularly gelada baboons and their ancestors. I am interested in understanding what these primates looked like, how many species there were, what kind of environments they lived in and so on. I use 3D data like surface and CT scans to answer these questions. I have worked at multiple archaeological and paleontological field sites in East Africa. I love working in the field and excavating fossils.
Luciana Gusmão, Invertebrate Zoology
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Systematics, Taxonomy
Project: My research focuses on sea anemones, very simple and yet very diverse marine invertebrates found in all latitudes from shallow coral reefs to the deepest marine environments. Due to the simplicity of their body plan, these animals may look similar due to reasons other than close evolutionary relationship (convergence or repeated loss of anatomical features). This leads to problems when describing species and building classifications and ultimately obscures our understand of biodiversity and evolution of sea anemones. Our goal will be to answer long-standing questions regarding key anatomical features currently used to study these animals by employing a combination of traditional techniques (dissection, microscopy, histology) and modern techniques (Ct-scan, 3-D modeling, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis). We will examine sea anemones from both tropical shallow waters and deep-sea habitats and I hope our study will shed some light on how sea anemones diversified in these habitats. While you’ll be trained in the identification of sea anemones in particular, the techniques you will learn can be used to study many organisms (including humans). Bio: I’m a researcher in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) interested in marine biology and biodiversity, biogeography and evolution of sea anemones. I’ve been studying this group for more than 15 years in which I’ve traveled extensively visiting museum collections as well as collecting animals by hand or scuba diving. Back in the lab I study these anemones whole and in dissections using microscopes, stereomicroscopes, histology, ct-scan and molecular techniques in order to examine their anatomy, identify them and estimate phylogenetic relationships within the group. |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Mondays.
Sara Oppenheim, Invertebrate Zoology & Genomics
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Bio: I am interested in the interplay between diet breadth evolution and speciation in herbivorous insects. I use comparative genomics to examine plant-insect interactions in species of moths with diverse host plant ranges. I combining fieldwork in North and South America with modern -omics work in the lab to address longstanding evolutionary questions about ecological adaptation and speciation. Before getting into the science game, I was a philosophy major in college and dreamed (foolishly) of a career in equestrian sports.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara_Oppenheim
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara_Oppenheim
Jose M. Padial, Herpetology
Keywords: Evolutionary Biology, Genetics & Genomics, Systematics, Taxonomy
Project: Study of potential new species of Amazonian lizards using anatomy and DNA sequences: During the last 10 years I have been organizing expeditions to very poorly know or unexplored areas of the Amazon in Peru. During those fieldtrips I collected a number of aquatic and terrestrial lizards of a large family known as Gymnophtalmidae. These specimens belong to the genera Alopoglossus, Bachia, Cercosaura, Potamites and Proctoporus and represent a large diversity of species with disparate modes of life, forms and colors. I’m now working to identify all these specimens and figure out their species names, whether they are new species or not, and what are their genealogical affinities (phylogeny). My preliminary results indicate that there are several new species among those specimens. Students will be studying the anatomy of lizard specimens from Peru, for example, by counting different types of scales, taking measurements, and describing color patterns in life (using pictures), and preservative (specimens in alcohol). They will also work with DNA sequences by editing them using specific software (Geneious), performing comparisons using BLAST, and building preliminary phylogenetic trees. Bio: I’m originally from Spain but I have lived in different countries of Europe, South America and Africa in the past, always following new opportunities to study and do research in my areas of interest. I study the diversity, evolutionary relationships, and natural history of amphibians and reptiles, mostly from the Amazon and the Andes, although I have done work in Africa, Spain and the US. I’m mostly a herpetologist nowadays, but I have worked with mammals and birds in the past, and I have keen interest in plants and invertebrates. My favorite part of research is fieldwork and I spend a considerable time every year in the field, mostly in the Amazon, where I’m studying areas that have not been yet surveyed and we therefore ignore what species live there and what are their modes of existence and treats. You can read about one of my expeditions in this article. In my spare time I enjoy photography, climbing, hiking, reading literature and philosophy, and going art museums, galleries and concerts. |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Phillip Skipwith, Herpetology
Keywords: Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Systematics, Taxonomy
Project: The study I am currently working on focuses on the internal anatomy of a very special group of snakes from the island of Madagascar, the pseudoxyrhophiine lamprophiids. We currently have a phylogeny (evolutionary tree) for all 109 species and are now using micro X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT Scanning) to examine the internal anatomy of these snakes. These snakes are special in that the group is surprisingly young in geologic terms, being under 25 million years old and are incredibly diverse in ecology and external anatomy. I am using CT scans of the skull to determine how shape varies between species, if the tempo at which shape differentiates varies in the group, and if aspects of the environment influence skull shape in a predictable manner. While I have done many analyses focusing on the entire skull, I will be training SRMP students how to digitally manipulate CT scans to remove specific bones so that these same analyses can be run on individual boney elements as these are integral in shaping the entire skull. To see some cool CT scans, check out the Digimorph and Morphosource websites. Bio: I am a postdoctoral researcher in the department of herpetology. My background in evolutionary biology stems from a long-standing love of animals and nature. Indeed, I was catching snakes and making bug collections in middle school. Even now, I keep several species of snake and lizard as pets. This fascination with the natural world led me to study bird and turtle conservation as an undergrad and then the phylogenetics of reptiles in grad school. This work has allowed to see the world and I would never have thought that my job would take me to six countries for field work. |
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Nadav Gazit, Center for Biodiversity & Conservation
Keywords: Conservation
Project: Do you find art AND conservation interesting, and wanted to mesh the two? This project consists of two portions: in the first part, students will choose a conservation topic of interest (an endangered species, a critical habitat, etc.) and will research the different aspects of the topic: important information and conservation issues (if related to Museum research, this could also include Museum collections). The second part of the project will include learning about data visualization, graphic design, and illustration, and exploring how visuals help convey complex conservation and other complex scientific notions. Students will learn some basic tools and techniques with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. Using these tools, the students will create engaging visuals that can help raise awareness and give audiences a better understanding about their conservation topic. Bio: I work at the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), on topics of human well-being, sustainability, and biocultural approaches to conservation. I also help produce educational materials for college students and professionals, as part of the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners program at the CBC. A significant part of my job includes graphic design and illustrations (and I am also a painter outside of the Museum walls!). My background education includes a bachelor’s in geography, a master’s in environmental science, with a focus on climate change, and non-degree art programs. Links to work at CBC: https://www.amnh.org/our-research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/research-and-conservation/biocultural-conservation-planning/biocultural-approaches https://www.amnh.org/our-research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/capacity-development/ncep/lessons-in-conservation |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor Fridays.
Maria Strangas, Herpetology
Keywords: Ecology, Evolutionary Biology
Project: With changing climates, understanding how wildlife is affected by environmental temperatures becomes more important every day. Working with a genus of lizard in South America called Enyalius, we’ll be doing a study on comparative evolutionary thermophysiology. This means we will compare temperature tolerances and preferences across a range of closely related species to understand how these traits have evolved. Do species in different environments have different traits? Do closely related species have more similar traits than distantly related species? We’ll then use information about temperature tolerance and environmental temperatures to predict where each species can live. Using remotely sensed environmental data (from satellites), empirically measured microclimate conditions, and data from experiments my colleagues and I have conducted with lizards in Brazil, we’ll investigate questions about where lizards can and can’t live. For example, do Enyalius species that live in warm environments have traits that make it difficult to live in colder parts of South America, like the far south, or at high elevations? This project will have you learning about evolution, animal behavior, species ranges, and computer coding. Bio: I’m all about evolutionary biology and mentoring in science. I am currently the manager of SRMP and also work in the Herpetology department at AMNH. Before I came to the museum I earned my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CUNY, working at City College of New York. I grew up in Michigan and Greece, where I spent my free time watching lizards, catching frogs, and digging in the dirt. I've lived in NYC for 8 years now, and am always on the look-out for local wildlife. Personal Website: www.mariastrangas.com |
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Alexandria Moore, Education/Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at AMNH
Keywords: Conservation, Ecology
Project: Wetlands are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on the planet, providing essential services to wildlife and humans alike. However, across the world wetlands are also among the most threatened and endangered habitats due to various human activities. Given the ecological and economic importance of these vulnerable systems, initiatives that focus on restoring the health, structure, and functioning of these habitats have been crucial but not always successful. Ecosystem restoration projects are diverse, with methods and approaches that vary across habitat types, ecological communities, land use, and more. What methods are most effective in restoring wetlands? Is it most important to improve the physical landscape, such as the hydrology and soil quality? Or does it make more sense to reintroduce key species? For this project, SRMP students will address these questions to determine the relative importance of various ecosystem components in wetland restoration and conservation efforts. This project will include the following components: Literature Review Building Theoretical Models in R Sample Processing Using Laboratory Methods and Data Input Empirical Models and Statistical Analyses in R The result this work will allow us to better understand how wetlands function to best inform restoration and conservation practice within these dynamic and essential ecosystems! Bio: For as long as I can remember with my poor long-term memory, I have always asked “how” and “why” questions. Why is there an “s” in the word islands? How does the middle part of a bridge get built? Why is my horoscope always so accurate? These types of questions have driven me to learn more about myself and the world around me with annoying persistence. As the Postdoctoral Conservation Research and Teaching Fellow at AMNH, I take this drive to understand the underlying mechanisms of how and why things work and apply it to our natural environment. How do predator-prey interactions influence the way ecosystems work? Why aren’t restored habitats as healthy as natural habitats? How can we combine the answers to these two questions to conserve and restore vulnerable ecosystems? Through my work, I hope to address these and every other “how” and “why” question. |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the fall.
Physical Science
Eileen Gonzales, Astrophysics Department (AMNH) & City University of New York
Keywords: Observational Astrophysics
Project: My research is on understanding the atmospheres of some of the closets objects in our stellar neighborhood, brown dwarfs which lie in the boundary between stars and planets. They don’t produce their own energy like the sun, but instead start off as bright as they will ever be when they are born and cool over time. Brown dwarfs have temperatures from 250-3000 K, or a cold day on Antarctica to that of the center of a kiln, and they are all about the same size as Jupiter. The goal of this project is to better understand the fundamental parameters (i.e. brightness, temperature, mass, etc.) of field age brown dwarfs. With the recent release of Gaia DR2 there is an abundance of new information that can help us better refine the parameters of this population as a whole. Students will become masters in Python, as it is the primary coding language for this project. You will first learn how to move the positions of objects forward in time and how to query the Gaia DR2 database to collect updated parallax measurements for a sample of brown dwarfs. Next, the group will create spectral energy distributions (SEDs, see figure below) in order to refine the fundamental parameters. Students will also learn how to use and update the BDNYC Database, an SQL database that houses a collection of various information about brown dwarfs. 
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Bio: I am a fourth year PhD student at the CUNY Graduate center, working with the BDNYC research group. My work focuses on understanding the atmospheres of brown dwarfs through a variety of methods. The first method is by creating flux calibrated spectral energy distributions (SEDs), which are a collection of spectra and photometric points. By using flux calibrated SEDs we can derive an objects fundamental parameters, such as its bolometric luminosity and effective temperature. Another method I use is atmospheric retrievals, which is a way to model the atmosphere, to determine the abundances of gases, and to create a synthetic spectrum of the object you are modeling. When I am not working on research, I can be found swing dancing
Please note: I am unavailable to mentor Tuesdays and Thursdays in the fall.
Linda Sohl, Earth and Planetary Science
Keywords: Earth and Planetary Science
Project: In my current research, my main tool is a complex computer model called a general circulation model or global climate model, a.k.a. GCM. GCMs are usually used to study processes of modern and future climate of Earth, but in this case, the GCM I use has been adapted so that I can simulate a wide range of Earth-like planets that are very different from modern Earth. Some of the model characteristics I can change to “make another world” include the distribution of land vs ocean on the planet’s surface, and how much land; the composition of the atmosphere; the kind of star the planet is orbiting; the shape of that planet’s orbit, and the tilt of its rotational axis. By the way, these kinds of changes are also what we need to do if we want to explore Earth much earlier in its history, when the geologic record suggests that it would have looked like an alien world to us (and we might not have survived very long under those conditions!). Now, while we do have some geological clues about past Earth environments that supported life, we don’t have nearly enough information to get the full picture – and that’s where the GCM comes in. Using the GCM allows us to explore and test different ideas about those environments – for example, whether the Earth was really hot or barely warm enough to keep from freezing over, and whether it had a very thick carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere vs one where methane was much more prominent. For your research project: You’ll learn first some things about climate models – how they work, what information goes into the model to get it started, what the model produces, and the steps that all climate scientists take to analyze model results – by working first with an educational version of a GCM (called EdGCM) that you can run on your own computer. Once you’refamiliar with EdGCM, we’ll transition into analyzing results from the NASA/GISS exoplanet GCM, called ROCKE-3D. You’ll also learn about some of the questions that we’re hoping to explore with our climate simulations, such as what conditions might be needed to resolve the Faint Young Sun Paradox, or what happens to climate and the potential for life when a planet’s orbital configuration (obliquity, eccentricity, precession) looks different from modern Earth’s. Bio: I have always been fascinated by Earth and sky. Growing up in the Bronx, I used to sit for hours at a time with a rock and mineral guide in one hand and a bunch of pebbles in the other, trying to figure out what the last ice age left in my backyard. At the same time, I was a huge sci-fi fan and loved to read stories about alien civilizations among the stars. As a scientist now, I can blend the Earth science I’ve learned with my interest in looking for life on other worlds, by trying to characterize what climatic conditions supported the development of life as we know it – and using that information to figure out how we might find other planets that harbor life. Personal Website: https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/bio/linda.sohl |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Fridays.
Kim Fendrich, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Keywords: Earth and Planetary Science
Project: Meteorites are made of some of the oldest materials in our solar system. They survived being incorporated into planets and have been floating around in space ever since. The materials they are made of provide insight into the environmental conditions at the time of their formation, which is vital to understanding how the solar system formed. Over the course of this project, students will analyze meteorites to determine what they are made of; including the abundance, size, shape and composition of the individual components found within them. This work will involve hands-on experimentation using an electron microprobe and polarized light microscope, as well as image analysis using Adobe Illustrator. By uncovering information about the origin and evolution of the solar system, we bring ourselves a few steps closer to understanding our own history and our place in the evolution of this planet. Bio: I am a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at AMNH. My expertise is in mineralogy and Raman spectroscopy, a technique that involves using lasers to identify minerals. I study small particles of comet dust that were captured by the NASA Stardust mission as they were shed off the tail end of comet Wild 2. These particles were returned to Earth and are now being analyzed all over the world, including here at AMNH! I am working on identifying the minerals in the dust, as they contain clues to the conditions during the early stages of solar system formation and can tell us a lot about how our sun and planets came to be. 
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Fridays.
Daniella C. Bardalez Gagliuffi, Astrophysics
Keywords: Observational Astrophysics
Project: “Binaries” at all masses: constraining the statistics of stellar, substellar and planetary-mass binary systems: Binaries are systems of two stars that orbit around their common center of mass due to the gravity between them, in a similar way to the Sun-Earth or Earth-Moon systems. The rate at which stellar and substellar binaries, and planetary systems occur in nature and their variety of architectures are a direct consequence of the formation mechanisms at play. Brown dwarfs, as hybrids between stars and giant planets, possibly share formation mechanisms with both classes. A strong constraint on the statistics of binary systems is needed to understand the limits of star, brown dwarf and planet formation. Stellar binaries are common in the Universe, and they also occur less frequently at lower masses, among brown dwarfs (objects not massive enough to fuse hydrogen), and even planetary-mass objects (objects not massive enough to fuse anything!). We want to combine these definitions into one database to explore the orbital parameters of any system, and explore correlations between them and possible limits to stellar-like and planetary-like formation mechanisms. We want to work with student collaborators to build an ambitious database integrating known stellar, substellar and planetary systems based by researching the scientific literature and complementing the findings with a binary population simulation to estimate the completeness of the compilation. Students will work directly with Dr. Bardalez Gagliuffi and Dr. Oppenheimer, hone their Python programming, learn SQL database management, acquire a strong scientific background in stellar, substellar and planetary astrophysics, and gain valuable hands-on research experience. Once the database is built, we will be able to explore the parameter spaces occupied by all known binary systems to answer fundamental questions about substellar and planetary formation. Bio: I am a Kalbfleisch postdoctoral fellow at AMNH interested in understanding the formation of very low mass binary stars, brown dwarfs, and giant planets with near infrared data. I am originally from Lima, Peru, where I started Environmental Engineering in college, but soon transferred to MIT, where I obtained my Bachelor in Physics. I recently moved from San Diego, where I got my PhD in Physics from UCSD and learned how to surf. I’ve also lived in Spain and France, speak Spanish and French, have 2 cute doggies back in Lima, and love cooking (and eating). |
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor Mondays and Wednesdays.
Mark Popinchalk, Astrophysics
Keywords: Observational Astrophysics
Project: My research is about trying to understand as much as I can about brown dwarfs from the light from their atmospheres. Brown dwarfs are interesting objects, as they have properties that are similar to large gas planets (clouds, atmospheres), but are more similar in size to stars. While they may have made their own light through nuclear fusion earlier in their lives, most of the light that comes from these objects now is due to their temperature. Think of the infrared light humans give off, but for something 50 times the mass of Jupiter. We can measure this light, and create spectra, which are maps of the colors or wavelengths the object emits. The spectra will be mixtures of many factors of the brown dwarf, as the light interplays with the atmosphere of the object itself before it reaches our telescopes. You see signatures of atoms and molecules in each spectrum that depend on specific factors of the object, creating essentially a unique fingerprint for the brown dwarf. The project will be to use these signatures to tell us specific information about the objects in our Brown Dwarf New York City (BDNYC) Database. Students will learn to measure precise parts of the infrared spectrum, associated with certain chemical species, which provide an insight into specific aspects of the brown dwarf, such as it’s relative color and surface gravity. By combining these measurements, students will be able to find information about individual objects and compare them against a larger field. Bio: My name is Mark Popinchalk and I am an astrophysics doctoral student here at the Museum, as well as the CUNY Graduate Center and the College of Staten Island. I study the atmospheric signatures of brown dwarfs and large exoplanets to try to define and categorize them. I take observations of these objects as well as use theoretical models. I also engage in science outreach and education around the city, including planetarium shows here at the Museum. When not working on science projects I like to cook food as well as play ultimate frisbee. 
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Fridays.
Johanna Vos, Astrophysics
Keywords: Observational Astrophysics
Project: Brown dwarfs are objects that bridge the gap between stars and planets. They are generally believed to form like a star, but do not have sufficient mass to sustain nuclear burning in their core. A star like our Sun will continue to burn hydrogen for ~10 billion years. However, a brown dwarf does not have an internal energy source, so spends its life slowly cooling and dimming over time. Brown dwarfs have similar temperatures to directly-imaged exoplanets, and their atmospheres are thought to resemble those of the directly-imaged planets. Since brown dwarfs do not orbit a bright host star, they are much easier to observe, making them excellent analogs to directly-imaged exoplanets. Photometric variability monitoring is a powerful technique that is used to probe the atmospheres of brown dwarfs. By measuring the brightness of a brown dwarf as it rotates, we can look for signatures of cloud features as they rotate in and out of view. The Luhman16AB system consists of a pair of brown dwarfs orbiting each other. At a distance of 2 parsecs (6.5 lightyears) from the Sun, these objects are our closest brown dwarf neighbors! In this project, you will use brand new multiwavelength data to explore the lightcurves of this pair of brown dwarfs. With temperatures of ~1200 K, their atmospheres likely contain patchy clouds, made up of condensed silicates and molten iron. This data will allow us to search for signatures of these clouds on the surface of Luhman16AB and also to measure the rotational period of each brown dwarf. The multiwavelength nature of the data means that we can explore the existence of vertical cloud layers in the atmosphere. 
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Please note: I am unavailable to mentor on Tuesdays and Thursdays.