Linking ecology and evolution
Carlos J. Pavón Vázquez: Associate Professor
I’ve been obsessed with biodiversity for as long as I can remember. I used to spend the school holidays flipping rocks to look for critters. Not much has changed. I consider myself lucky to be able to do research on and teach others about the origins, maintenance, and conservation of biodiversity. In my free time, I like to exercise, go to gigs, eat, and, of course, flip rocks.
Samuel Zamora Jacobo: Research Assistant
Samuel worked on the systematics and biogeography of a skink species complex (Plestiodon lynxe) for his Honour’s thesis under my supervision. He recently won an award at the Mexican Evolution Congress for giving an amazing talk about his research. He is currently applying to a Master’s program and, in the meantime, helps the lab with field and lab work. When he’s not in the field or lab, you can find him playing videogames, watching sci-fi series, or gardening.
Paulina Y. González Hernández: Honours Student
Paulina’s thesis is focused on the environmental factors shaping genetic structure in the widespread Brown Basilisk (it can run across the water!). Her research comprises fieldwork, molecular lab work, and bioinformatics. When she’s not catching lizards or doing DNA extractions, she’s watching movies, reading, or exploring the endless streets of Mexico City.
J. Rafael Hernández Hernández: Honours Student
Rafael is looking into the evolution and climatic drivers of facultative paedomorphosis in salamandrid salamanders. His research involved a comprehensive literature review now being followed by comparative analyses. When he’s not crunching numbers in R you can find him reading, looking for new places to eat, or playing videogames, football, or the guitar.
Elisa Rodríguez Arias: Undergraduate Researcher
As part of her coursework, Elisa is conducting research on the phylogenomics of blue-tailed skinks (Plestiodon). She has been working in the field and lab to generate a comprehensive genomic dataset for these lizards. Besides looking for skinks and wearing a lab coat, she likes to write, draw, paint, and take walks.
Michelle S. Hernández Piña Arrieta: Undergraduate Researcher
Michelle is looking into the ecological factors shaping the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in frogs (all of them!) for a research-oriented subject. She’s been compiling and analysing natural history and body size data. Besides uncovering the secrets of frogs, she enjoys dancing salsa, watching romantic movies, and exploring with her scouts group.
Alumni
Natalie Cooper. 2024. Undergraduate Researcher, University of Kentucky. Project: Salamandrid conservation and evolution. Co-supervised by David Weisrock.
Qantaah Rana. 2022. Postbaccalaureate Researcher, City University of New York. Project: Environmental drivers of divergence in desert lizards. Co-supervised by Christopher Blair.