Gerstner Scholars Program

Biology

Generously funded by the Gerstner Family Foundation, the Gerstner Scholars Biology program encourages and supports groundbreaking research in biology, with an emphasis on genomics, including such topics as microbes, mammals, invertebrates, marine life, and computational biology.

The work of scholars at AMNH co-supported through this competitive program will have implications for such broad themes as:

Human and medical research that is informed by understanding the scientific composition and behavior of other species; and
Advancing our understanding of the evolution and diversity of species and the "tree of life."

Chosen for their creative approaches to research questions that are likely to lead to important new discoveries in their respective fields, Gerstner Scholars will include biological scientists who have demonstrated outstanding performance that merits recognition early in their careers. Awardees must have received their degree or deposited their dissertation before they begin their appointment.

Annual Deadline: November 15

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Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Read about the Gerstner Scholars Bioninformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) program.

Current Gerstner Scholars

Zoe Kulik | Pedro Braganca | Sofia Paz Sedano| Rene Martin

Alumni Gerstner Scholars

Current

Dr. Zoe Kulik, RGGS and Division of Paleontology
Research Intersts: Reconstructing developmental patterns and life history in vertebrate fossil groups using bone histology. Origin and evolution of major vertebrate clades, with a particular focus on the synapsid forerunners of mammals
Ph.D. University of Washington, Biology, "Histological insights into growth trajectories, life history, and community age structure in the mammalian stem lineage", 2023

Dr. Pedro Bragança, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Intersts: Neotropical/Amazon Ichthyology, African Ichthyology, Miniaturization, Taxonomy & Systematics, Biogeography, Evolution & Speciation, Species Delimitation. Specialist in the taxonomy of the order Cyprinodontiformes.
Ph.D. Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Zoology; "Comparative analysis of the miniaturizaed procatopodins from South America and Central Africa: a phylogenetic approach (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Procatopodinae)". 2018

Dr. Sofia Paz Sedano, RGGS and Divisio of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Intersts: Biodiversity and Evolution of Mollusca Nudibranchia.
Ph.D. Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity; “Integrative taxonomy review of the family Goniodorididae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia)”. 2023

Dr. Rene Martin, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Intersts: Morphology and evolution of light organs in lanternfishes.
Ph.D. University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, "Aspects of Macroevolution and Adaptation in Two Lineages of Deep-sea Fishes", 2022

Alumni

Dr Edson Fiedler de Abreu Júnior, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Historical DNA; phylogenomics; phenotypic variation and evolution; mammal taxonomy and systematics; diversification in the Neotropics.
Ph.D. University of São Paulo, Applied Ecology, “Phylogenomics, diversification, and biogeography of Neotropical squirrels (Sciurillinae and Sciurinae: Sciurini)”, 2020.

Dr. Jesse Delia, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Organismal and comparative biology. The mechanisms and evolution of biological transparency. Parent–offspring evolution, family life.
Ph.D. Boston University, Biology; “Ecology and evolution of parent–embryo interactions in Neotropical glassfrogs”, 2018.

Dr. Chris Law, RGGS and Divisions of Paleontology and Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Macroevolution; phylogenetic comparative methods; functional morphology; ecomorphology; phenotypic diversity
Ph.D. University of California Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; “Individuals to clades: an examination of intraspecific and interspecific variation in sea otters and other charismatic musteloids”, 2019

Dr. Maxwell Bernt, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Macroevolution; systematics; origins of taxonomic and morphological diversity in fishes
Ph.D. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; "Phylogenetics, Taxonomy, and Historical Biogeography of the South American Ghost Knifefishes (Apteronotidae, Gymnotiformes),” 2019.

Dr. Johanna Harvey, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: The coevolution of parasite diversification and host immune response across habitat and climate.
Ph.D. Texas A&M University, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, “Avian Haemosporidians: detection, host, and climate association across contrasting regions of Africa”, 2018.

Dr. Carrie Mongle, RGGS and Dvision of Anthropology
Research Interests: Early Hominin Evolution; Hominin Phylogenetics; Macroevolution; Variability; Australopithecus; Morphological Diversity; Evolution of the genus Homo; Phylogenetic Comparative Methods; Craniodental Morphology
Ph.D. Stony Brook University, Anthropology; "Modeling hominin variation: The alpha taxonomy of Australopithecus africanus", 2019

Dr. Nathan Lujan, RGGS and Divistion of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Macroevolutionary ramifications of anatomical decoupling in the hyperdiverse Neotropical catfish clade Loricarioidea.
Ph.D. Auburn University, Biological Sciences; "Jaw morphofunctional diversity, trophic ecology, and historical biogeography of the Neotropical suckermouth armored catfishes (Siluriformes, Loricariidae)", 2009

Dr. Ariadna Morales, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Speciation with gene flow, drivers of ecological speciation and local adaptation, and convergent evolution using as a model system flying mammals and other vertebrates by integrating cutting-edge genomic tools and morphometric and environmental approaches.
Ph.D. The Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; "The evolutionary history of the bat genus Myotis with emphasis on North American species", 2018

Dr. David Wright, RGGS and Division of Paleontology
Research Interests: Macroevolution; paleobiology; paleontological approaches to phylogenetics and comparative methods; the evolution and systematics of echinoderms, especially the Crinoidea (sea lilies and feather stars).
Ph.D. The Ohio State University, Geological Sciences; “Phylogenetic Paleobiology: Diversification and Evolutionary Radiation in Paleozoic Crinoids”, 2016

Dr. Phillip Skipwith, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Macroevolutionary dynamics of an ecologically and morphologically diverse group of snakes, the pseudoxyrhophiine lamprophiids of Madagascar.
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology; "The Phylogenomics and Macroevolutionary Dynamics of Australasian Diplodactyloid Geckos”, 2017

Dr. Benjamin Titus, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Evolution of tropical sea anemone symbioses: systematics, species delimitation, comparative phylogeography, genomics, coalescent modelling.
Ph.D. The Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology; “Comparative phylogeography of a multi-level sea anemone symbiosis: effects of host specificity on patterns of co-diversification and genetic biodiversity”, 2017

Dr. Federico Lopez-Osorio, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Phylogenetics of Social Wasps (Vespidae), Comparative Transcriptomics, Molecular Evolution of Sociality.
Ph.D. University of Vermont, Biology; “Phylogenetics and Molecular Evolution of Highly Eusocial Wasps”, 2016

Dr. Edward Myers, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Snake evolution, systematics, and taxonomy; comparative population genomics and phylogeography; speciation
Ph.D. City University of New York, Biology; “Comparative population genomics and speciation of snakes across the North American deserts”, 2016

Dr. Lu Yao, RGGS and Divisions of Invertebrate Zoology and Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Ancient DNA, phylogenetic systematics, phylogenetic comparative methods, morphology, evolution on islands
Ph.D. University of Chicago, Evolutionary Biology; "Phylogeography and phenotypic evolution of Macaca fascicularis in Southeast Asia", 2016

Dr. James Herrera, RGGS and Divisions of Vertebrate Zoology and Paleontology
Research Interests: Macroecology, phylogenetic systematics, biogeography, phylogenetic comparative methods
Ph.D. Stony Brook University, Biological Anthropology; “Phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of lemurs from Madagascar”, 2015

Dr. Brendan Reid, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Turtle evolution and conservation, phylogeography, historical demography, genomics, ecological niche models
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wildlife Ecology; “Genetics and Demography of Wisconsin Turtles: From Landscape to Local”, 2015

Dr. Nelson Salinas, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Ericaceae (Blueberry family) taxonomy and phylogenetics, Neotropical plant biogeography, bioinformatics
Ph.D. City University of New York, Biology; “Systematics and Biogeography of Orthaea (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae)”, 2015

Dr. Abigail Curtis, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: functional and evolutionary morphology of mammals, x-ray computed tomography (CT) scans, paranasal sinuses, comparative methods
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Biology; “A three-dimensional quantitative investigation of frontal sinus morphology and function in mammalian carnivores”, 2014

Dr. Steven Davis, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Morphological and molecular systematics of extinct and extant weevils (Curculionoidea); comparative morphology, embryology, histology, and evolutionary developmental biology; development and evolution of the weevil rostrum.
Ph.D. University of Kansas, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; "Morphology, phylogeny, and evolutionary development in the weevils (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)" (https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/14552), 2014

Dr. Christopher Martinez, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Morphological diversity of fishes; evolution of jaw structure; relationships between form and function; applications of geometric morphometrics and simulation modeling.
Ph.D. Stony Brook University, School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences; “Diversity of skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei) and the spatial structure of NW Atlantic communities”, 2014

Dr. Aaron Heiss, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Eukaryote diversity, specifically that of ‘basal’ organisms (protists), and especially that of ‘orphan’ lineages (those without known close relatives) and of organisms representing likely ancestral states. Cellular morphology; electron microscopy; molecular phylogenetics; sample collection, single-cell isolation, and culturing.
Ph.D. Dalhousie University, Department of Biology; “Studies on the Morphology and Evolution of ‘Orphan’ Eukaryotes”, 2012

Dr. Adrien Perrard, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: The use of shape data in phylogenetic analyses; evolution of social wasps (Vespidae); systematics; geometric morphometrics; morphological and molecular phylogenetics; wing venation.
Ph.D. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France, department of Systematics and Evolution, “Systematics and geometric morphometrics: Evolution of the wing venation in the genus Vespa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)”, 2012

Dr. Sara Ruane, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Systematics and evolution of snakes.
Ph. D. City University of New York Graduate Center, Biology (EEB); “Phylogenetics, Phylogeography, Historical Demography and Morphology of Milksnakes (genus Lampropeltis)”, 2012

Dr. J. Angel Soto-Centeno, RGGS and Division of Verteberate Zoology
Research Interests: Extinction and speciation of insular bats and the role of climate change on population structure and migration. Biogeography, ecological niche modeling, coalescent modeling, paleontology, phylogeography, and phylogenetics.
Ph.D. University of Florida, Department of Biology; "Extinction and phylogeography of Caribbean bats during the late Quaternary," 2013

Dr. Faysal Bibi, RGGS and Divisions of Vertebrate Zoology and Paleontology
Research Interests: Neogene mammalian evolution in Africa and Asia; phylogenetics; paleoecology; biogeography; Bovidae; environment of human evolution.
Ph.D. Yale University, Department of Geology & Geophysics, "Evolution, Systematics, and Paleoecology of Bovinae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from the Late Miocene to the Recent", 2009

Dr. Jo Wolfe, Division of Invertebrate Zoology and RGGS
Research Interests: The role of ontogeny in reconstructing phylogeny; fossil arthropods, especially Cambrian stem-group members and (pan) crustaceans; theoretical morphological and molecular phylogenetics; developmental gene evolution and its role in the Cambrian explosion; morphological data archiving.
Ph.D. Yale University, Department of Geology & Geophysics; “Fossil, Molecular, and Developmental Approaches to Elucidate Pancrustacean Phylogeny,” 2012

Dr. Mercer R. Brügler, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Evolution and diversity of marine invertebrates, especially cnidarians (anemones, corals, jellyfish and their relatives); deep-sea biology, including dispersal, gene flow and genetic structure in extreme environments (such as Antarctica and chemosynthetic vents and seeps); molecular systematics and evolutionary history of the Class Anthozoa (current focus: sea anemones [actiniarians] and black corals [antipatharians]); evolution of mitochondrial (mt) gene order, gene content, and genome architecture. Tools employed: morphology, mt and nuclear DNA, genome architecture, molecular morphometrics (RNA secondary structure).
Ph.D. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Department of Biology; “Molecular Evolution in Black Corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): Implications for Antipatharian Systematics,” 2011

Dr. Timothy Guiher, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Systematics, historical biogeography, and population dynamics of reptiles (primarily snakes); genomics; statistical methods of phylogenetics and population genetics.
Ph.D. The City University of New York, Department of Biology; “Systematics and Historical Biogeography of Agkistrodon contortrix and Agkistrodon piscivorus” 2011

Dr. Jonah Choiniere, RGGS and Division of Paleontology
Research Interests: Phylogeny and body size evolution of theropod dinosaurs, and understanding the non-avian dinosaur to bird evolutionary transition; anatomy and systematics of coelurosaurian theropods; Middle to Late Jurassic dinosaurian faunas; evolution of serially repetitive morphological structures; application of high-resolution CT technology to ontogenetic and phylogenetic studies.
Ph.D. The George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences; “Anatomy and Systematics of Coelurosaurian Theropods from Wucaiwan, People’s Republic of China, with Comments on the Evolution of the Theropod Forelimb,” 2010

Dr. Jose M. Padial, RGGS and Division of Vertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Taxonomy, phylogenetic systematics, and biogeography of Neotropical amphibians; theory of systematics.
Ph.D. University of Granada and Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid); “Integrative Taxonomy of Bolivian Eleutherodactylus and Oreobates (Amphibia: Anura),” 2007

Dr. Christian Kammerer, RGGS and Division of Paleontology
Research Interests: Anatomy and phylogeny of early cynodonts and the evolutionary transitions leading to Mammalia; high-resolution CT methods
Ph.D. University of Chicago, Committee on Evolutionary Biology; “Cranial Disparity in the Non-Mammalian Synapsida," 2009

Dr. Carsten Kamenz, RGGS and Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Research Interests: Morphology of scorpions and their evolutionary history; high-resolution CT methods
Ph.D. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany), Department of Biology, specialization in zoology, "Book-lung Morphology -- Implications for Arachnid Phylogeny (Arachnida, Chelicerata)," 2009