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Javier Ortega-Hernández
Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
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PI - Postdoctoral Researchers - Graduate Students - Predoctoral Researchers - External Collaborators - Former Members | |||||||
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PI - Postdoctoral Researchers - Graduate Students - Predoctoral Researchers - External Collaborators - Former Members | |||||||
Postdoctoral Researchers |
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Rudy Lerosey-AubrilResearch Scientist - Joined in Spring '19
Short Bio: I am an invertebrate paleontologist investigating the evolution of early animals and their organization into modern-type ecosystems. To do so, I travel the world to study Konservat-Lagerstätten – exceptional deposits preserving the remains of both biomineralizing and soft-bodied organisms. These remarkable localities provide unparalleled insights into the anatomy and ecological interactions of extinct organisms. My preference goes to the Cambrian Lagerstätten of western Utah (Wheeler, Marjum, Weeks), but I am fortunate enough to work on Early Paleozoic exceptional fossils from all over the world. My areas of expertise are the biology, phylogeny and diversification dynamics of fossil and modern arthropods (and relatives), with special interests for gut anatomy and feeding strategies. I completed a Master (2001) and a Ph.D. (2004) in Paleobiology at the University of Montpellier, France – both on trilobite developmental strategies and mass extinctions – and then, occupied curator, research and teaching positions in Australia, France, and Germany. Keywords: Arthropoda | comparative anatomy | diversity dynamics | functional morphology | Konservat-Lagerstätten | trophic interactions Email: rudy_lerosey@fas.harvard.edu |
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Jo M. WolfeNational Science Foundation Co-PI / Research Associate - Joined in Spring '19
Short Bio: My research program revolves around the evolution of complex characters considered ‘key innovations’ and their influence on phenotypic evolution and biodiversity through time. My toolkit draws on both the geological and genomic histories of organisms. Geological data are derived primarily from the ‘exceptionally preserved’ fossil record, i.e. those fossils that preserve soft tissues. Genomic data are used to reconstruct phylogenies of study groups, as well as to elucidate the distribution and expression of gene families across those groups. In combination, these data types provide reciprocal illumination of evolutionary innovations and set the stage for integrative studies of non-model organisms. I received my B.Sc. from the University of Toronto in 2007, and my Ph.D. from Yale University in 2012. I previously undertook postdoctoral positions at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Keywords: Phylogenetics | phylogenomics | macroevolution |crustaceans | Cambrian explosion |marine biology | microbial evolution Email: jowolfe@g.harvard.edu
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Karma NangluNational Science Foundation Postdoctoral Researcher - Joined in Summer '21
Short Bio: My research focuses on the early evolution and ecology of complex marine life through the description and analysis of early Paleozoic fossils, from individual specimens and new species to entire faunas. From an evolutionary perspective, my work largely concerns the origins of the phylum Hemichordata, the early history of which remains one of the most enigmatic areas of the metazoan tree of life. This research is currently expanding to incorporate a wider, multi-disciplinary perspective on the super-phylum Deuterostomia. I also study the diversity, structure, and functional ecology of Paleozoic marine ecosystems. To do this, I take a multivariate approach to analyze spatiotemporal patterns of ecological turnover. I completed my PhD at the University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum in 2018. Most recently, I was a Peter Buck Deep Time post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Keywords: community ecology | evolutionary biology | Cambrian | Hemichordata | Deuterostomia | taphonomy Email: knanglu@fas.harvard.edu
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Anshuman SwainHarvard Society and James S. McDonnell Foundation Fellow - Joined in Summer '22
Short Bio: I am a complex systems biologist, who applies 'systems' frameworks and methods to problems in ecology and evolution. In general, I am interested in how micro-scale processes and interactions in ecological/biological systems can cause emergent behaviors, phase transitions, or other 'system-level' properties at different spatiotemporal scales. I use various quantitative tools such as networks, agent-based simulations, and ODE models to explore these biological dynamics. I have had the privilege of working on a number of different systems such as microbial communities and their interactions, animal soundscapes, and paleo-ecological food webs. My current research interests, in particular, lie in exploring fossil plant-insect interactions and connecting our findings to modern herbivory and environmental change. I received my B.Sc. (Research) in Physics from the Indian Institute Of Science (IISc, Bangalore) in 2017 and was awarded my Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, which focused on investigating theoretical models of interactions in microbial ecology, from the University of Maryland (UMD, College Park) in 2022. Keywords: Complex Systems | Networks | Agent-based models | Plant-insect interactions | Microbial ecology |
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PI - Postdoctoral Researchers - Graduate Students - Predoctoral Researchers - External Collaborators - Former Members | |||||||
Graduate Students |
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Sarah R. LossoGraduate student - Joined in Fall '18
Short Bio: I am an invertebrate paleobiologist focused on trilobite phylogenetics, paleoecology, and macroevolution. I graduated from Mount Holyoke College in western Massachusetts in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, then completed an MS in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Iowa. Research for my MS focused on description of five new species, assigned to a new genus of dimeropygid trilobites from the earliest stage of the Ordovician of western Utah and southeastern Idaho. Keywords: phylogenetics | systematics | paleoecology | macroevolution Email: sarahlosso@g.harvard.edu
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Marc A. MapaloGraduate student - Joined in Fall '19
Short Bio: I'm a tardigradologist who is interested in combining modern (-omics and dev-bio analyses) and fossil data to understand the evolution of tardigrades and their ecdysozoan relatives. I obtained my BS and MS in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines - Diliman where I got trained in molecular biology techniques, phylogenetic analyses, and immunology work. My undergraduate and MS theses involved the study of Philippine tardigrades, including description of new species. I then became part of the Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Evolutionary Biology (MEME) where I got two more MS degrees from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany (MS Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics) and Uppsala University, Sweden (MS Biology). My MS theses involved the use of genomic and transcriptomic data for bioinformatic analyses, such as phylogenomics and ancient human DNA population genomic analyses. During this time, I was trained how to work in an ancient DNA lab facility. Keywords: tardigrade evolution | ecdysozoan fossils | phylogenomics | systematics | evo-devo Email: marcmapalo@g.harvard.edu
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Jared C. RichardsGraduate student - Joined in Fall '20
Short Bio: I am a paleoecologist that focuses on quantitative approaches to understanding the marine systems of the Paleozoic Era. I received a BS in Quantitative Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My research at UNC-Chapel Hill focused on the distribution and prevalence of bioerosion on extant Caribbean reef environments, the biogeography of extant cephalopods along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and how environmental change influences reproductive methods used by late Cenozoic Era foraminifera. Keywords: evolutionary paleoecology | quantitative approaches | exceptional preservation | Paleozoic Email: jrichards@g.harvard.edu
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Edna Rodriguez-Sánchez
Graduate student - Joined in Fall '23
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PI - Postdoctoral Researchers - Graduate Students - Predoctoral Researchers - External Collaborators - Former Members | |||||||
Predoctoral (Undergraduate and Masters) Researchers and Interns |
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Maddi WaskomResearch Intern - Joined in Summer '20
Short Bio: I graduated from Harvard in December 2022, where I studied Integrative Biology and Earth and Planetary Science. I am continuing my work from my undergraduate thesis on visualizing taphonomic experiments using micro-CT imaging. In the lab, I have also worked with graduate student Sarah Losso using three dimensional analysis to understand the Walcott-Rust thin sections. I am particularly interested in methods that use three-dimensional analysis to ask questions about how organisms lived and evolved in the Precambrian and Paleozoic. Additionally, I hold a special place in my heart for science communication and education in classrooms and media. Keywords: Earth history | macroevolution | taphonomy | science communication Email: madeleinewaskom@college.harvard.edu
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Solène BourdasInternational Research Intern - Joined in Spring '24
Short Bio: I am currently a second-year student pursuing a Master's degree in Evolutionary Biology at Lille University (France), as part of the Graduate Program Science for a Changing Planet. I earned my Bachelor's degree from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse (France), specializing in Biology of the Organisms, Populations, and Ecosystems. During the past year, I completed an internship at the Natural History Museum of London, where I led the project “CT scanning of shell beds from the upper Triassic from the upper Triassic England” employing an innovative technique for 3D visualization of fossil shells. Currently, my research focuses on the three-dimensional organization and early evolution of arthropod guts, seeking new data on the digestive systems of Cambrian fossils. I'm interested in studying the evolution of early organisms and paleoecology, using CT imaging and 3D reconstruction techniques in general
Keywords: Paleoecology| Evolutionary Biology | Micro Computed Tomography Email: solenebourdas@gmail.com
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Leo LaborieuxMEME Research Intern - Joined in Spring '24
Short Bio: I’ve always been a bug guy. After graduating from Aix-Marseille Université in 2022, I joined the MEME program and attended courses at multiple European universities. As part of these rotations, I also joined ongoing research projects on a variety of topics, ranging from the speciation genomics of weevils to behaviour in Heliconius butterflies. In the meantime, I conducted independent research focusing on the taxonomy of Buthid scorpions and the biomechanics of venom spitting. My research at the Ortega-Hernández lab aims to generate high-fidelity 3D models of Cambrian-era arthropod gills, as informed by exceptionally preserved fossils from around the world. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations on these models will help uncover the evolutionary innovations that made arthropod terrestrialization possible in deep time.
Keywords: Arthropods| Computational Fluid Dynamics | Micro Computed Tomography Email: leolaborieux@fas.harvard.edu |
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External Collaborators |
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Lucas Del MouroResearcher, University of São Paulo
Short Bio: I am a geoscientist interested in combining approaches to understanding paleoecosystems. I have a natural enthusiasm for challenges, especially those that require several expertises. I graduated from Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Brazil) with a degree in Biological Sciences. In 2013, I obtained my MSc in Geology at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). From 2013 to 2019, I was a Visiting Researcher of Petrobras Oil Company program at Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). In 2017, I completed my DSc in Geology at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). My areas of expertise are invertebrate paleontology (especially, Porifera taxonomy and taphonomy), palynofacies, geochemistry (FRX and RAMAN) and data science. I am currently a member of three research groups and of the International Consortium, Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project, from Stanford University. I do enjoy lecturing and supervising. Keywords: Porifera | geochemistry| Paleozoic Email: lucas.delmouro@gmail.com |
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Dongjing Fu (傅东静)Professor, Northwest University, Xian
Short Bio: Dongjing‘s principal research interests revolve around the so-called ‘Cambrian explosion’, a unique time for life evolution that took place approximately 540-505 million years ago. Her work is focused at the moment on understanding the origin and evolution of the early animals, particularly in studying of morphology, ontogeny and the phylogeny of euarthropods. These investigations are largely based on the study of exceptionally preserved soft-bodied assemblages of a series of Konservat-Lagerstätten (sites of exceptional preservation) in South China, such as the Qingjiang, Chengjiang, Guanshan, Shipai and some new faunas ranging from Cambrian stage 2 to Furongian. Keywords: Cambrian Explosion | exceptional preservation | metazoans | Arthropoda | evolution Email: djfu@nwu.edu.cn
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Yu Liu (刘煜)Professor, Yunnan University, Kunming
Short Bio: 2009: PhD, University of Ulm, Germany. Major: Natural Sciences. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dieter Waloszek. 12/2009–09/2016: Associated Professor, Dept. of Biology II, Univ. of Munich, Germany. 10/2016–present: Deputy Director, Professor, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, China. Keywords: Cambrian | Arthropoda | development | embryology | micro computed tomography Email: yu.liu@ynu.edu.cn
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Da-you Zhai (翟大有)Associate Professor, Yunnan University, Kunming
Short Bio: 2005.09–2011.01, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Ph.D.) 2011.01–2014.01, Postdoctoral Researcher, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2014.01–2015.06, Associate Professor, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2015.07–present , Associate Professor, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University Keywords: Taxonomy | phylogeny | paleoecology | Cambrian | bivalved arthropods | ostracods Email: dyzhai@ynu.edu.cn |
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PI - Postdoctoral Researchers - Graduate Students - Predoctoral Researchers - External Collaborators - Former Members | |||||||
Former Members
We are eager to stay in touch with our former members! If you have been in the lab and would like to share information about what you are doing, or where you are after your time with us, please send an email to Javier (jortegahernandez@fas.harvard.edu) so that we can update your profile information with your current affiliation and/or position. |
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Cole LombardiMCZ Research Intern 2019 |
Arthur LynchNSF-REU Research Intern 2020 Now Dartmouth College graduate
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Stephen PatesMCZ Postdoctoral Fellow 2019 Now NERC Research Fellow at the University of Exeter
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Jackson KehoeUndergraduate Researcher 2020 Now Research Assistant at the Harvard University Herbarium |
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Holly SullivanScientific Illustrator 2020-22 Now Scientific Illustrator at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
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Marion ThaureauInternational Intern 2022 Now PhD student at the University of Oslo
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Caroline DavockUndergraduate Researcher 2022 Biological sciences major and geoscience minor at Smith College |
Javier LuqueNSF Postdoc Researcher 2022 Now Curator at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
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Joy C. JuliusPost-bacc Researcher 2021-2023 Now medical student at Stony Brook Medicine
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Logan QuallsUndergraduate Researcher 2020-2023
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Pauline AffatatoMEME Research Student 2023 Now PhD student at Columbia University
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Martin Luca FernandezNSF REU Research Intern 2023 Now Syrcause University senior
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Natalie MorganUndergraduate Researcher 2023 Biological sciences major and geoscience minor at Smith College
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