With the announcement of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) 2022 Fellows, Dr. Malin Pinsky was honored for his significant contributions to the field of marine biology. The AAAS is widely regarded as a multidisciplinary scientific society focused on the advancement of scientific discoveries.
Further information discussing Dr. Malin Pinsky’s contributions predicting the impacts of climate change can be found here. As well, a comprehensive list of AAAS’s 2022 Fellows can be found here.
The lab visits California for the ASN Asilomar 2023 Conference.
Members of the lab had the opportunity to attend and present at the American Society of Naturalists’ Asilomar 2023 Conference from January 6th to 9th at Pacific Grove, California. Strong storms were braved and massive swells were overcome to discuss ecology and evolution at such a beautiful location. Links to presentation descriptions and pictures from the conference can be found below:
The lab spent some time working and relaxing at Lacawac Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.
Lab members recently took advantage of the wonderful fall weather (and peak fall foliage) and organized a four-day writing retreat at the beautiful Lacawac Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. They spent the week getting in some much needed writing time, relaxing, socializing, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. They were joined by Jem Baldisimo, a collaborator from Old Dominion University on the NSF PIRE project studying genomic change over the last century in the Philippines.
Jason & lab members enjoy some sunshine (L2R: Malin, Jason, Mike, Brendan, Jaelyn, Alexa, Zoe, and Kyra)Jason & lab enjoy an engaging discussion with NOAA scientists (clockwise from L: Zoe, Jason, Mike, Alexa, Jaelyn, & Kyra. Rene & NOAA scientists Robert Logan, Sara Schaal, & Diana Baetscher on Zoom!)
Recently, lab members were treated to a two-week visit by Jason Toy, a PhD student in Dr. Kristy Kroeker’s lab at University of California Santa Cruz. Jason spent time with lab members Brendan Reid, Rene Clark and others to discuss and learn computational approaches to population genetics (e.g., “momi2”). Later in the week, he presented his own research to the lab and got to participate in an engaging discussion (arranged by Brendan) with several NOAA scientists discussing their work via Zoom. Jason’s talk was titled “Adaptive capacity of surfperches to rapid environmental change: Illuminating the roles of local adaptation and range shifts in population resilience”. Not least, Jason got to participate in several social outings with EENR grad students and faculty. Safe travels, Jason. We really enjoyed your visit!
The Pinsky Lab is very excited to host Jem Baldisimo this week! Jem is a PhD student in Kent Carpenter’s lab at Old Dominion and part of the Phillipines PIRE project. She’s visiting as part of an RCN for Evolution in Changing Seas research exchange program. During her visit, Jem will interact with lab members and learn more about various population genomic analyses, particularly computational techniques for investigating population structure and genetic diversity. She hopes to apply those skills in her own research, which involves (among other things) looking at how the aquarium trade has impacted fish populations in the Philippines.
Pictured in the photo (left to right): Brendan, Jem, Kyra, Rene, & Marial.
The Pinsky Lab is pleased to welcome two new graduate students, Jaelyn Bos & Kyra Fitz, and a new Post-doc, Brendan Reid.
Kyra Fitz
Jaelyn Bos
Brendan Reid
Kyra is joining the lab as a 1st year Ph.D. student in the Ecology and Evolution program. She has a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has studied the impacts of environmental change on a variety of species including corals, elephant seals, sea lions, sea turtles, and larval fish. Her research interests include population genomics, marine conservation biology, and spatial ecology. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, swimming, cooking, and taking her dog, Lucy, to parks.
Jaelyn is also joining the lab as a Ph.D. student in the Ecology and Evolution program. She is from Maryland, and graduated from University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2017 with bachelors’ degrees in environmental science and biology. From 2017 to 2019, she served with the Peace Corps in Mozambique, teaching high school biology. She’s interested in coral reefs, conservation, and ecosystem resilience, particularly in East Africa. She also enjoys hiking, running, and hanging out with friends and family (from a distance).
Brendan grew up in New Jersey and is happy to be back working for the Garden State! He received his Masters from Columbia University and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and post-PhD he has worked at the American Museum of Natural History and at Michigan State’s Kellogg Biological Station. He is interested in gene flow and the demographics of species and communities, and his past work has used genetics to understand these processes in a wide variety of taxa (crustaceans, sloths, marine and freshwater turtles, and fish). Brendan currently lives with his girlfriend and two cats in New York City and he enjoys hiking, reading, and music.
Dr. Jennifer Hoey successfully defended her PhD dissertation, “Adaptation and evolutionary potential in light of anthropogenic stressors in the ocean” on May 11th, 2020! It was by videoconference, with audience members calling in from literally all over the world. Jennifer’s research on evolutionary patterns in summer flounder has already been published in two papers, Hoey et al. 2018 Evolutionary Applications and Hoey et al. 2020 Molecular Ecology, with a third on the way. Jennifer has also done incredible science outreach work as part of the Science Partnership Committee within the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). She has become a vital part of not only our lab, but the entire Rutgers Ecology & Evolution community through her work with the graduate program, outdoor activities, dining, art and more. She will be sorely missed as she moves on to a postdoc at UC Santa Cruz. The biggest congratulations and thank you to Jennifer on behalf of the entire Pinsky lab and DEENR!
Hannah Burke, an undergraduate research assistant in the lab through the Aresty program, presented her poster at the Undergraduate Annual Poster Symposium. Hannah explored the relationship between anemone size and the sizes of the resident clownfish, looking for a carrying capacity or maximum ratio of total clownfish size to anemone diameter.
Amaia Astarloa, a PhD student from the AZTI Foundation in Pasaia, Spain (and the University of Basque Country), is visiting to collaborate with members of our lab on her research. She is currently developing her thesis on the role of the environment and prey in driving marine predator distribution and abundance in the Bay of Biscay. She is advised by Drs. Guillem Chust and Maite Louzao in the Marine Environment and Resources program. Welcome, Amaia!
We’re excited to welcome Dr. Jude Kong to the lab! Jude brings a wealth of experience in mathematical modeling and applied math, including for diseases and aquatic ecosystems. He has his PhD from U. Alberta and will be working on process-based models for shifting species distributions. Welcome, Jude!
We’re excited to welcome Dr. Jude Kong to the lab! Jude brings a wealth of experience in mathematical modeling and applied math, including for diseases and aquatic ecosystems. He has his PhD from U. Alberta and will be working on process-based models for shifting species distributions. Welcome, Jude!