Cytonuclear Lab @ UCSB

I am an evolutionary biologist interested in the (co)evolution of genomes and their emergent cellular and organismal phenotypes, especially in the context of eukaryotic energy production. I am originally from Lake Tahoe, CA, but moved to the Midwest to attend the University of Notre Dame for my undergraduate degree. Next, I moved to Iowa City, IA for graduate school at the University of Iowa, where I was mentored by Dr. Maurine Neiman while studying the evolutionary maintenance of sexual reproduction. After graduate school, I moved to Fort Collins to work as a postdoc with Dr. Dan Sloan. There, I studied cytonuclear interactions of allopolyploids. I was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Biology at New Mexico Tech in 2020, and moved the lab to UC Santa Barbara in 2024. My lab at UCSB investigates the genetic and evolutionary forces that affect mitochondrial and chloroplast function in both plants and animals. I am an avid skier and hiker, and especially enjoy spending time in the outdoors with my family.

PhD Student

I am a PhD student in Biotechnology at New Mexico Tech (2022-present) and am joining the EEMB program at UCSB in Fall 2025. My project focuses on the study of cytonuclear interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana , seeking to identify candidate gene regions that govern genome copy number regulation, and how chloroplast copy number affects plant photosynthetic capacity. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my cats, attending concerts, and hanging out with friends.

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Master's Student

Damilola was a Masters student at NMT from 2022-2024. In the Cytonuclear Lab, her research project investigated how polyploidy affects wheat phenotype (chloroplast and photosynthesis). Outside the Lab, Dami enjoys reading and watch medical series.

Masters Student
Undergraduate Researcher
NM Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Scholar

Andre started in the lab as an undergraduate student in Spring 2022, and eventually graduated with his Masters degree in Summer 2024. He is now a PhD student at the Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement in French Guyana. Andre's research project characterized patterns of chromosomal recombination in Coffea arabica (coffee). Coffee, like many sexually reproducing plants, is a hybrid tetraploid, which may allow for more rapid adaptation than can happen in diploids like humans. Outside the lab, Andre likes to enjoy the New Mexico outdoors, especially hiking, running, and biking.

Accelerated Master's Student
NM Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Scholar

Raymond was a Masters student in the lab from 2022-2023. After finishing his thesis, Raymond was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which he used to pursue his PhD in plant genetics at Wash U in St. Louis, MO. Raymond's project involved developing an R tool to characterize the functional site frequency spectrum of loss-of-function mutations in population genomic data. When not working on research or school Raymond likes to play volleyball, piano, and frequent the gym!

Accelerated Master's Student

Cameron was accelerated Master's student in the Biology Department at NMT from 2021-2023, where she also received her undergraduate degree in Biology in 2021. In the Cytonuclear Lab, Cameron studied mitochondrial function in sexual and asexual lineages of freshwater snails to determine the impact of reproductive mode and ploidy level on mitochondria. After graduating, Cameron was recently hired worked as a research technician in Dr. Brian Calvi's lab at Indiana University. Outside of the lab, Cameron enjoys reading, relaxing, and spending time with her cat Ziva.

Master's Student

Bridie was the inaugural Master's student in the Cytonuclear Lab from 2020-2022. Her primary interests lie in molecular genomics, mitochondrial bioinformatics, and nutritional biochemistry. For her Master's research, Bridie investigated mitochondrial DNA inheritance in potamopyrgus antipodarum, a freshwater snail, by isolating and analyzing mitochondrial DNA from over 100 snails in a breeding experiment that she designed. Outside of the lab, you'll find her playing music, swordfighting, and building functionality out of fabric, wood, and metal.

Accelerated Master's Student

Catherine was a former Accelerated Master's Student in the lab (2021-2022). Her research focused on identifying patterns of maternally biased homoeologous conversion in the small subunit of Rubisco in allotetraploid Coffea arabica . She also worked to determine the effects of ploidy on photosynthetic rates in polyploid Arabidopsis thaliana . Catherine is currently pursuing her PhD in plant pathology at Iowa State University. She enjoys painting, spending time with her cats, and swing dancing.

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Emily was a former undergraduate student in the lab (2021-2022), working on describing the mitochondrial genome architecture of Potamopyrgus antipodarum . After graduating, Emily moved to Austin, TX. Emily enjoys chai lattes, cats, writing and travel.

Former Undergraduate Researcher, Lab Manager, NM Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Scholar

Sinai is a former undergraduate member of the lab (2022-2024). Sinaí worked on many different projects during her time in the lab, most notably working to visualize wheat and Arabidopsis mitochondria using confocal microscopy. After graduating from NMT, Sinaí got a job as a research technician for Lovelace Biomedical in Albuquerque, NM working. Other than doing science Sinaí loves to dance, bake, and travel to new places.

Research Technician

Following graduation from NMT with her B.S. in Biology, Anna joined the lab as a Research Technician. She worked on testing for effects of ploidy on photosynthetic and respiratory function in diploid vs. polyploid wheat, as well as helping to develop an eDNA method for detecting invasive P. antipodarum populations in New Mexico. Anna is now working as a technician in a forensic science lab in Hobbs, NM.

Former Lab Manager

Mae-Ling was the lab manager for a brief period after graduating from NMT in 2022. During her time in the lab, Mae-Ling worked on developing an eDNA method for detecting invasive P. antipodarum in NM waterways.

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Halie was an undergraduate researcher in the lab (2023-2024). Halie worked on developing confocal techniques to characterize mitochondrial morphology and performance in diploid vs. polyploid snails (and plants).

Former Undergraduate Researcher, NM Alliance for Minority Participation Scholar

Kali was an undergraduate member of the lab (2023-2024). Kali worked with Evita to investigate the genomic architecture of the cytonuclear response to whole-genome duplciation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Kali was a Biomedical Sciences major at New Mexico Tech, where she plans to graduate in May 2026. After that, Kali hopes to pursue a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, with a focus on Pharmaceuticals. She hopes to work on drug delivery and development for genetic disorders in the future. Some of her hobbies include volleyball, weight training, reading, gaming, and music.

Former Undergraduate Researcher, NMT Sophomore Research Scholar

Tobin was an undergraduate member of the lab (2024). Tobin worked with Damilola to investigate the consequences of WGD for photosynthesis in genetically variable diploid vs. polyploid wheat. Tobin's growth chamber common garden experiment was instrumental in supporting Dami's Masters thesis work, earning him authorship on her forthcoming paper!

Former Undergraduate Researcher, NMT Sophomore Research Scholar

Aaron was an undergraduate student in the Cytonuclear Lab (2021-2023), where he studied the effects of ploidy on mitochondrial function and performance in P. antipodarum . Aaron's interests in biology range from the evolution of tumor heterogeneity promoting cancer metastasis and drug resistance to the dynamics of symbiotic and host-pathogen relationships. Outside of science, he enjoys being outdoors, playing basketball, and watching movies.

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Jay was an undergraduate member of the lab (2023-2024). Jay worked on quantifying changes in photosynthetic performance in diploid vs. tetraploid vs. octoploid Arabidopsis .

Undergraduate Researcher

Emma was a former undergraduate student in the lab (2022-2023). Emma was an environmental engineer, and during her time in the lab, she worked to develop an aneuploid swarm of Arabidopsis thaliana . When not in school or studying, Emma likes to hang out with her dog and make tie-dye t-shirts.

Former Undergraduate Researcher, NMT Sophomore Research Scholar

I am an undergraduate student in the lab, where I started in summer 2022. My main interests in biology are pathology and pharmacology, and eventually, I would like to work on medical countermeasures for diseases. My work in the lab investigates whether there is any relationship between gene expression and endopolyploidy in diploid and tetraploid leaves. Outside of science I loves to read, hang out with friends, and watch movies.

Former Undergraduate Researcher, NMT Sophomore Research Scholar

Chris was an undergraduate member of the lab (2023-2024). Chris worked to develop an aneuploid swarm of Arabidopsis thaliana .