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Ingo Braasch - Principal Investigator
Ingo studied biology at the University of Konstanz and received a PhD from the University of Würzburg, both in Germany. After a postdoc at the University of Oregon, he joined MSU in 2016 as Assistant Professor in Integrative Biology. He is also faculty member of the MSU Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) and the Genetics and Genome Sciences (GGS) programs and the NSF BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action.
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Andrew W. Thompson - Postdoctoral Research Associate
Drew is the textbook example of a fish nerd. Trained as a phylogenomicist during his PhD at George Washington University, he started to use annual killifishes as a model system to analyze the control of diapause (arrested development) and environmentally-cued hatching. He joined the group in 2016 and works on the (epi)genomic evolution of gene regulation during the development of ray-finned fishes (gar, bowfin, and teleosts). He also continues to unravel the genomics of Eco-Evo-Devo in the Rio Pearlfish and other killifishes. Supported by the NSF BEACON Center, Drew develops our Killi-Kits for outreach to citizen scientists of all ages. |
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Olivia E. Fitch - PhD Student
Olivia is a graduate student in the MSU Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) programs. In 2019, she joined us from Augsburg University, where she studied eye evo-devo in branchiopods as undergraduate. In our lab, Olivia continues her passion for non-traditional model organisms and investigates the genetic basis of fin development and evolution of non-teleost (gar) vs. teleost (e.g. zebrafish) and other bony fishes. Olivia is an ardent cineast and - while writing and directing her own science-themed short films - she is organizing our Darwin @ The Movies film series. |
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Camilla Peabody - Lab Manager
Camilla has many years of experience in managing molecular biology laboratories at MSU. Joining our group in 2018, she has switched from zebrafinch to zebrafish research. She's taking care of the everyday conduct in the lab, runs gene expression analyses, and gets us the best cakes. |
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Brett L. Racicot - Gar Facility Manager & Research Technician
Brett is our gar wrangler and jack of all trades. A graduate of the MSU IBIO Zoo & Aquarium Science Program, he has built our probably world-wide unique Gar Facility. When not taking care of our gars, he generates and genotypes fish mutants and transgenic lines, takes care of our equipment, and builds new extravagant aquatic systems. |
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Taylor Lawrence - Fish Facility Manager
Taylor is in charge of the Zebrafish/Medaka/Killifish Facility that we run jointly with the Ganz Lab. After graduation with a Zoology/Marine Biology degree from MSU Integrative Biology, she bravely took over management of our fish colony at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown and is keeping us afloat during the pandemic and beyond. |
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Cameron Bennett - Undergraduate Researcher
Cameron is a senior in the MSU Lyman-Briggs College and the Genomics and Molecular Genetics program. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, Cameron is analyzing the function of the endothelin signaling pathway during the development of the zebrafish neural crest cell population and its derivatives. She received a 2019 MSU MMG Frank Peabody Microbiology Student Research Fund Award. |
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Harrison Wojtas - Undergraduate Researcher
Harrison is a senior in the MSU Environmental Biology/Zoology program. He is studying the development, molecular evolution, and environmental control of the hatching gland and its hatching enzymes in annual vs. non-annual killifishes. Harrison was awarded an MSU CNS Larry D. Fowler Endowment Undergraduate Research Stipend in 2020. |
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Rachel Alcorn - Undergraduate Researcher
Rachel is a senior in the MSU Lyman-Briggs College, the MSU Honors College, and the Zoology/Marine Biology concentration of the MSU Integrative Biology program. She is analyzing the expression and regulation of transcription factor genes during fin development of spotted gar. Email: alcornra@msu.edu
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