Blair was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Post-doctoral Fellowship to study the genomic basis of Arctic adaptation in polar bears. His project will use functional and population genomic data to understand the role of regulatory sequence evolution in facilitating rapid adaptation to the Arctic. Read more here. Congratulations, Blair!
Ellie Armstrong presented her talk entitled “The genomics of the United States’ captive tiger population” as part of Dovetail Genomics and Revive & Restore’s Conservation Genomics Summit 2021. There, she discussed how an improved tiger reference genome she assembled using Dovetail’s technologies allowed for better population genomic insights concerning the ancestry and diversity of tigers in the US. Great job, Ellie!
Joanna was selected for a Mid-Career Faculty Achievement Award through WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. She is recognized for her work in evolutionary and population genomics, with a successful funding track record and national recognition for her research. Congratulations, Joanna!! See the full award announcement here.
Ellie and Joanna are working with Dovetail Genomics and the conservation organization Revive & Restore to sequence the genome of a female wolverine named Laura. Wolverine populations have decreased in recent years but twice failed to be listed by the Endangered Species Act. Sequencing a high-quality reference genome will provide much needed genomic resources to inform conservation efforts for this enigmatic species. Read more here.
Tait Algayer will present her poster, “The plasticity of estuarine arthropods: how arthropods from various biomes respond to elevated CO2 levels” at the CERF 2021 conference in November! Congratulations, Tait!
Joanna received funding through WSU’s Cougar Cage competition to research eight bear proteins that may help reverse obesity and insulin resistance. Her research will likely have important implications for diabetes treatment in humans. Congratulations, Joanna! Read the full award announcement here.
Kerry was awarded the Richard R. and Constance M. Albrecht Scholarship through the WSU Graduate School for the 2021-22 academic school year. Congratulations, Kerry!
Alexandra Fraik recently won the National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology that focuses on the investigation of the rules of life governing interactions between genomes, environment and phenotypes. Her fellowship research will be conducted at University of Idaho with Dr. Paul Hohenlohe investigating the replicability of hybrid genome evolution between naturally and anthropogenically hybridizing trout species. Her project will be highly collaborative, continuing her work with the NOAA NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center with Dr. Krista Nichols and Dr. Marty Kardos and with Dr. Carl Ostberg at USGS. Congratulations, Alex!
On April 19th, Alex successfully defended her dissertation entitled “How does genomic variation underlying locally adapted populations shift following a rapid environmental change?”. Congratulations, Dr. Fraik! Alex is hoping to continue working on Steelhead genetics in a postdoctoral position.
On April 12th, Michael successfully defended his dissertation entitled “Investigating population genetics and seasonal variation of transcription in brown bears (Ursus arctos).” Congratulations, Dr. Saxton! We will miss your positive presence in the lab, and we wish you the best in Alaska!
