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Goldberg Lab Spatial Ecology and Conservation Genetics

Principal Investigator

 

 

 

CAREN S. GOLDBERG

Caren is an associate professor in the School of the Environment at Washington State University. She trained as a field biologist and started applying genetic techniques after earning her MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Arizona. She worked on modeling landscape change, habitat, and gene flow of amphibians for her PhD in Fish and Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho. Caren’s current research focuses on developing and applying environmental DNA techniques to detect species of management concern and modeling connectivity for amphibians using landscape genomics.

Google scholar profile

Courses taught:

SOE 318 Wildlife Genetics

SOE 446 Wildlife Habitat Ecology

SOE 548 Applied Spatial Ecology 

 

 

Lab members

 

 

MEGHAN PARSLEY

Meghan started as a PhD student in School of the Environment in the fall of 2017. She received her BS in wildlife science from the Ohio State University and her MS in biology from Western Kentucky University. Previously, Meghan has studied evolutionary genetics of unisexual Ambystoma salamanders and adaptive genetic variation in California tiger salamanders. For her PhD, Meghan is working on  landscape genomics of Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, hybridization between barred and Sonoran tiger salamanders, and developing eRNA methods to further understand population demographics. Meghan led on a paper with an amazing team from the 2018 Landscape Genetics Distributed Graduate Seminar analyzing gene flow of Arizona treefrogs that has now been published in Landscape Ecology! You can check out the paper here and her Google Scholar profile here.

 

 

MARY STERLING

Mary graduated from University of Idaho with a BS in Wildlife Management. She leads the labwork on all our contract projects and keeps everything in the lab working great in addition to enjoying running, camping, and being a mom.

 

ALEXANDRA DUKE

Alex joined the lab in Fall 2019 to pursue her MS degree in natural resources. She completed a pilot study developing eDNA detection methods for Smooth-coated otters in Goa, India. With the success of her pilot study, she aims to map the distribution of Smooth-coated otters throughout Goa, India using eDNA. In the meantime, she completed her MS studying eDNA detection of beaver in Washington in Fall 2021.  Generally, Alex is interested in the use of eDNA to monitor rare and elusive mammals, and works in the lab as a full-time technician.

Our awesome lab alumni

SANDRA MAYNE

Sandra joined the lab in the spring of 2020 to pursue an MS degree in Natural Resource Sciences. She conducted detailed experiments on eDNA dispersion in wetlands and graduated in Spring 2023. Sandra is interested in expanding her work to detecting rare birds using eDNA and currently works for the US Forest Service.

MITCH RALSON

Mitch joined the Goldberg Lab during Spring 2020 to pursue a M.S. in Natural Resource Sciences. In collaboration with natural resource managers, he conducted eDNA-based surveys to identify the distributions of three threatened amphibian species along the central Californian coast. Mitch completed this project and graduated in Spring 2023. A technical report from this project can be found here and Mitch’s work was featured here.

ANDREA ADAMS

Andrea is a research scientist who worked as a post-doc with the lab from 2020-2022. She earned her PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her dissertation research examined the decline and extirpation of the foothill yellow-legged frog in southern California. The work she led with the lab focused on reintroduction feasibility studies for the foothill yellow-legged frog, which combined eDNA methods with conservation planning tools. The ultimate goal of this work is to identify restoration targets and establish best practices for reintroductions.

 

KELSEY MARSHALL

Kelsey joined the lab in Fall 2018 to pursue her MS degree in Natural Resources. For her thesis project, she used visual encounter surveys and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to determine the distribution of amphibians of conservation concern on Jackson Demonstration State Forest in California. She is interested in the utility of eDNA methods for the conservation of aquatic species.

 

MALLORY BEDWELL

Mallory earned her M.S. in the School of the Environment in Spring 2018. Her project focused on using non-invasive genetic methods to understand populations and inform management decisions. She used environmental DNA (eDNA) to create a sampling protocol for Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs and foothill yellow-legged frogs in Plumas National Forest in California. Mallory also used eDNA to check historical records of Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog below their elevation range. Mallory now works as an Environmental Scientist for the California Department of Water Resources. The first part of Mallory’s work has been published in Ecology & Evolution. Mallory’s website: https://mebedwell.wixsite.com/froglog

MATTHEW M. SMITH

Matt earned his M.S. in the School of the Environment in Spring 2017. His work focused on investigating detection and occupancy of Columbia spotted frogs across the Great Basin using eDNA and field sampling in a multi-scale and multi-species modeling framework. During his time at WSU, Matt also developed eDNA assays for California tiger salamanders and western pond turtles. Matt is working on his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. You can find Matt’s great eDNA work accounting for false positives and false negatives for Columbia spotted frog detection in Ecography here.

 
COLLEEN KAMOROFF

Colleen finished her M.S. in the School of the Environment in Fall 2016. For her thesis, she worked on adapting environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to be used in lake restoration projects across the Sierra Nevada in California. Specifically, she addressed the issue of discerning live from dead specimen detections using eDNA techniques. Colleen is currently working for Yosemite National Park as a Wildlife Biologist. You can find Colleen’s work here in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms and in Freshwater Science and Limnology.

CHRISTINA KIEPE

Christina started  working in the lab when she was a freshman at WSU, graduated with a major in  Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science in spring 2021, and now works in the lab as a technician. Learning about eDNA has opened her mind to the various fascinating ways to detect different species and she has appreciated the opportunity to gain experience with the Goldberg lab.

JESSICA STEVENS

Jessica joined the lab as an intern in January 2020 when she was an undergraduate in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Sciences. She  thoroughly enjoyed learning about eDNA and amphibians during her time at WSU. She has assisted in field work and is currently researching gene products that can be useful targets for future eDNA research while applying to grad school.