Andy is a 2^nd year Ph.D. student in the Kasimatis Lab studying sexual conflict. He is interested in how sexes share autosomal genetic material, but experience differentiated phenotypes. His studies focus on sexual conflict, and the molecular mechanisms that can reduce sexual conflict. Outside of the lab Andy enjoys trail running, rock climbing, and reading.

Charlotte is as evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology PhD candidate in Butch Brodie's lab. They study environmental drivers of variation in sexual selection across space and time. Their work primarily focuses on the role of population demographics, age, and behavior in the evolution of weaponry in male forked fungus beetles. Charlotte is excited about expanding their research to apply contagion-based computational approaches to studying aggression and social behaviors. When not staring at beetles, Charlotte most enjoys running, dancing, and reading. 

Aisling Kruger is an Ecology and Evolution PhD student in the Cox lab. She is studying patterns of sex biased gene expression in Anolis lizards and is broadly interested in sex chromosome evolution. Outside of the lab, Aisling loves hiking, rock climbing, and playing rugby.

How does the early life environment shape your brain and change behavior later on? Venezia hopes to understand this by investigating the role of microglia in behavioral neurodevelopment, using prairie voles to model biparental care. Specifically, she seeks to understand how differences in parental care will change an offspring's behavior by interfacing with microglia in early life. Venezia is a PhD student in the Psychology department and is co-mentored by Dr. Ukpong Eyo and Dr. Jess Connelly. When not in the lab, she can be found hiking with elenore (her border collie), reading any and all books, or playing D&D pinball at the arcade.

Preston received his B.A. in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Bowling Green State University, where he first became passionate about global conservation. He also received my M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary biology at Bowling Green State University, where he studied the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly and how its unique butterfly-ant mutualism can buffer the negative effects of climate change. Afterwards, Preston became a lab manager at UW-Madison where he assisted in field, laboratory, and administrative work. Current curiosities include, pollinator ecology, plant-insect ecology, community ecology, and climate change ecology. During my Ph.D., He has  been researching bumblebee ecology within the Appalachian region and learning how nesting behavior may mitigate climate change effects.

Noah is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the J. Guler lab studying malaria. His studies focus on the molecular genetics of malaria, and how it has influenced the diseases ability to acquire beneficial mutations. This contributes to the understudied phenomenon of extrachromosomal-DNA generation, which may contribute to extreme phenotypes. In his free time, Noah loves cooking, playing piano, and walking his dog

Omina is a 4th year student in the labs of Sarah Siegrist and Michelle Bland. She studies the effects of infection and immune activation on brain development using Drosophila melanogaster. Outside the lab, Omina is interested in forensics, getting out for kayaking or volleyball, and likes taking silly pictures of her cat and making stickers of them.

Clara Stahlmann Roeder is an Evolution, Ecology and Behavior PhD candidate in Butch Brodie’s lab. She studies the evolution of social behavior, examining how organisms communicate and respond to past social experiences. She primarily studies these concepts within the context of forked fungus beetle fights using behavioral experiments but is excited to expand her research into the world of analytical chemistry and chemical ecology. Outside of her beetle-related pursuit, Clara loves choir, bird watching, and swing dancing.
Internship: Lincoln Park Zoo

Will is a 4th year PhD student in the Larson Lab where he studies the role of astrocytes in avian seasonal brain plasticity. He is broadly interested in the relationship between intrinsic mechanisms and external influences in the brain and how these factors impact cellular function, plasticity, and behavior. Outside of the lab, Will enjoys exercising, fishing, hiking, and playing chess. 

Kendall Branham defended her thesis entitled “The Genetic Regulation of Drosophila Mushroom Body Neuroblast Neurogenesis by Notch and Eyeless” in April of 2025. Through her EXPAND internship with Signature Science she discovered industry to be the career path she wanted to pursue. After graduating, she is now working at DesiCorp in the role of R&D Scientist in Louisville, KY. In her free time Kendall loves to watch the Kansas City Chiefs, read, travel, and spend time with her dog Harrison.
Internship: Signature Science

Robert Porter is a PhD candidate in the biology department on the Evolution and Ecology track at UVA. He is interested in how organisms adapt to environments that change through time. His research on the model organism Daphnia pulex combines ecological observations, laboratory experiments, and genomic analysis to explore how Daphnia have adapted to temporally heterogeneous environments, namely in response to seasonal drying of their ponds. When not in the lab, he enjoys hiking, trying new bread recipes, keeping fish, and reading.

Internship:  Bonumose

Kelsey "Kels" Schoenemann is a PhD candidate in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. She is investigating how human land use decisions impact bumble bee (Bombus spp.) fitness and pollen foraging. Their research of captive and wild bumble bees combines field observations, spatial datasets, and molecular genetics to explore the linkages between land use, foraging, and fitness. When not in the lab/field, Kelsey is known to spend time in their garden watching the birds, bugs, and bees, on the couch watching TV shows and movies, or in bed reading non-fiction and sci-fi books.

Internship: UVA Repair Lab

Lizzie Godschall is a Biology PhD candidate co-mentored in John Campbell and Ali Guler’s labs. She is studying the intersection of circadian biology and neuroscience in the context of feeding circuitry and energy balance. She is utilizing single cell genomics, along with metabolic and behavioral phenotyping to understand the longstanding mystery of the food entrainable oscillator. In her spare time, Lizzie enjoys running, playing tennis, and baking.

Keric is studying constraints of adaptation in the Galloway Lab using the study system Campanula americana. His research focuses on how microevolution and environment interact to shape range-wide patterns of adaptation and species distribution using experimental gardens, genomics, and simulations. When not in the lab or out in the field, Keric enjoys rock climbing, cooking, and botanizing.

Connor Murray is studying evolutionary genetics in the Bergland lab at the University of Virginia. His research examines how species adapt to environmental variation across natural ecosystems. He conducts most of his research using experimental mesocosms and bioinformatics to identify the genetic architecture of traits determining the survival of wild Daphnia populations. In his spare time, Connor can be found hiking or running and is an avid painter.

Chris Robinson is a 3rd year PhD candidate in Bob Cox’s lab at the University of Virginia. He is interested in how gene regulation evolves across species, allowing for the development of different phenotypic patterns. His work uses hormonal manipulations, transcriptomics, and cellular imaging to understand how traits are gained and lost among closely related species. Chris loves to run and believes that this hobby is advantageous for being a capable lizard catcher!

Merci Best is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Pharmacology studying Alzheimer's disease under the co-advisors Drs. George Bloom and James "Jim" Mandell. She is also the founder of STEAMKITX, an education start-up that designs science-based educational activities for school-aged children. Her scientific research focuses on interrogating the extent to which the axon initial segment, a neuronal barrier inside of neurons is involved in the abnormal accumulation of tau, a neuronal protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease and other disorders. Merci aspires towards an interdisciplinary career where she can develop interventions that prevent the onset of neurodegeneration and reimagine STEM education.

Taylor Nystrom is a 2^nd year PhD candidate working on a collaboration between the Bergland and Siegrist labs in the Biology department here at UVA. She is studying how nutrition and naturally occurring genetic variation interact to affect neurogenesis and neuronal composition in the adult brain. She is using classic developmental techniques to study neurogenesis in natural populations of fruit flies and is excited to learn about neurogenesis in a natural context! When she is not moving flies from one place to another, Taylor enjoys rock climbing, reading, and watching plants grow.