My research interests are broad and encompass many aspects of fish evolution. I am most interested in species-level relationships, phylogenetics, systematics and biogeography. What are the boundaries between species? How long have lineages been separated and why? How have groups diversified taxonomically and morphologically over geological timescales? I am not taxon specific and work/have worked on: lizardfish, rockfish, groupers, wrasses, and headstanding characins (superfamily Anostomoidea). 

Email: bfrable "at" ucsd.edu

I am interested in how nutrition and environment impact the physiology of animals, with my research spanning from overall physiology to gene expression and the gut microbiome. I am a devoted animal lover and also enjoy gardening and singing. As a Filipina-Mexicana women who has experienced barriers throughout my journey, I am passionate about increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in science. Throughout my graduate career, I have been implementing concrete actions to increase diversity and inclusiveness at and beyond UCI. I remain committed to anti-racism. #BlackLivesMatter ​

Website: https://michellejherrera.weebly.com 

Email: mjherre1 "at" uci.edu

I am interested in how ecological gradients shape fish diversity and influence evolutionary patterns across the Fish Tree of Life. My work applies phylogenetic comparative methods to explore how fishes have colonized new environments and ecological niches through time. I’m also committed to outreach and making science accessible to all audiences.

Website: https://cafecomr.wordpress.com/

Email: apaivamoraisdemedeir@ucsd.edu

I obtained my B.Sc in biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma. During my undergrad, I began focusing on fish biology after taking Ichthyology with Dr. Arcila. Later, I began research with Dr. Arcila which led me to an NSF REU at the University of Washington with Dr. Elizabeth Miller. While in this experience, I studied the feeding morphologies of deep-sea anglerfishes.  My work suggests that feeding modes of deep sea anglers are far more diverse than previously recognized and highlights that deep sea anglers underwent impressive morphological diversification following the colonization of the deep. Now, I am broadly interested in exploring phylogenomics as well as identifying macroevolutionary trends and the drivers of diversity within fishes. In the future I hope to integrate biochemistry and fish biology to explore the evolutionary history of biochemical adaptations. .

Email: zachheiple "at" ou.edu

I earned a B.Sc. (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences) at the University of Washington, where I focused on systematics and phylogenetics, primarily on deep reef fishes. I described a new species of damselfish (Chromis vanbebberae) found on mesophotic reefs in the Caribbean and tropical west Atlantic. I then earned my M.Sc. (Biology) at San Francisco State University studying the evolution and development of novel body plan features in manta rays, gaining expertise in in situ hybridization and microsurgery. My current interests lie in the evolution and development of novel body plans in fishes and how these characteristics can inform phylogeny. I have a particular interest in sea moths (family Pegasidae) and intend to synthesize my experiences from my B.Sc. and M.Sc. to investigate the family’s unusual traits in the context of phylogeny within Syngnathiformes, an order with poor phylogenetic resolution. 

Email: epmcfarland "at" ucsd.edu

I have always been very interested in ichthyology, particularly the evolution and systematics of fishes, which led me to earn two B.Sc. degrees from the University of California, Santa Cruz (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; and Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology). As an undergraduate, I studied physiological adaptations in moray eels (Muraenidae) through my home department, and also examined bacterial symbiosis and host specificity in a clade of shallow-water bioluminescent fish (Apogonidae, genus Siphamia) through an NSF-sponsored REU. My principal research interests lie in the phylogenetics, systematics, and physiology of fishes, particularly in the context of the deep ocean and its prehistoric role in fish evolution. While I am especially captivated by deep-sea and coldwater marine fish, I am eager to fill in the many, many unknowns of ichthyology and fish systematics.

Email: dhhays "at" ucsd.edu

I obtained my B.Sc. in Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Chicago, where I studied freshwater hatchetfish ecomorphology and lichen symbiosis at The Field Museum of Natural History. Previously, I worked to develop white shark eDNA detection methods in the Block Lab at Stanford University as part of a long-term monitoring program in the Monterey Bay. I am interested in the functional morphology and evolution of large pelagic predators and deep sea fishes, particularly related to systems such as endothermy, vision, and bioluminescence. I plan to combine morphological analysis (2D and 3D morphometrics) with genomics to uncover the molecular basis of extreme phenotypes with convergent functions. Currently, I am working to resolve relationships within the highly diverse adaptive radiation of sea catfishes (family Ariidae) located in Australia and New Guinea.

Email: j8zhong "at" ucsd.edu

I completed my B.Sc (Marine Biology) at the University of California, San Diego, where I performed research on genome size evolution across Tetraodontiformes. I also completed a project on thermal exposure responses in larval wrasse as a NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholar. I am broadly interested in understanding genomic underpinnings for trait convergence and divergence across the Fish Tree of Life. Under Dr. Arcila, I aim to address the evolutionary origins of traits such as body elasticity by integrating comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and functional morphology.

Email: eignatoff "at" ucsd.edu

I obtained both my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez where I explored the diversity of trematode parasites in avian hosts. I integrated detailed morphological characterization with molecular approaches, including Next-Generation sequencing and whole mitochondrial genome analyses, to build phylogenies and uncover novel species. Currently, I am interested the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms underlying extreme adaptations in blind gobies (Typhlogobius californiensis), particularly eye loss and regression. I am combining experimental breeding, behavioral observations, and genomic sequencing to study the processes underlying eye loss, pigmentation reduction, and sensory compensation. By manipulating environmental conditions such as light and oxygen, I aim to identify the genetic and developmental mechanisms that drive convergent evolution in cave and intertidal fishes.

Email: mdiazgonzalez "at" ucsd.edu 

I obtained my B.Sc. degree in Biological Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, where I conducted research in the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory studying the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual differentiation and reproduction in the freshwater catfish Panaque cochliodon using transcriptomic approaches. Through this work, I became interested in evolutionary biology, ichthyological diversity, and the use of genomic data to understand the origins of phenotypic variation across species. Currently, I am a Simons Foundation Fellow in Ecology and Evolution as part of the inaugural cohort of the program. My research interests broadly encompass bioinformatics, phylogenomics, and comparative genomics, with a particular focus on understanding the genomic and regulatory basis of rare and extreme phenotypes in an evolutionary context. More recently, I have become interested in applying machine learning approaches to evolutionary biology, particularly as a way to uncover complex patterns in large-scale biological datasets and gain new insights into the mechanisms that generate phenotypic diversity across the tree of life.

Email: jugallego "at" ucsd.edu

I earned a B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Systems from the University of California, San Diego. During my undergraduate education, I gained seagoing experience as a volunteer for a research cruise working with California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations. Here I learned how to run CTD casts and preserve biological samples from net tows. I also conducted an independent research project in the Fish Evolution Lab estimating the phylogeny of the clade Carangaria in order to gain insights on flatfish (Pleuronectiformes) monophyly. My current interests as a masters student involve phylogenetics and the growing need for complete databases to reference in eDNA studies. I plan on creating a comprehensive mitochondrial DNA barcoding dataset for ray-finned fishes off the coast of Southern California using tissue samples in the SIO Marine Vertebrate Collection in order to enhance marine fish species identification in future studies in this region.

Email: mleetrejo "at" ucsd.edu

I earned a B.S in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego and am continuing at Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a Master’s student. My current work focuses on the evolution of Alepocephaliformes, the fascinating order of deep-sea slickheads and tubeshoulders that is the sister group to freshwater Ostaryophysi. Many of these fish are rare, poorly sampled, and have ambiguous taxonomic positions. My goal is to provide clarity on the Alepocephaliformes piece of the overall fish phylogeny. I am also interested in how body shape maps onto the evolutionary tree and am taking linear measurements on several hundred museum specimens. I am passionate about understanding ocean ecosystems, especially those in difficult to access areas like the deep sea, and hope to infer broad-scale ecological information about Alepocephaliformes based on their inter-familial relationships, jaw dimensions, and body sizes. 

Email: meobrien "at" ucsd.edu 

I earned my B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego, and am currently pursuing my M.S. in Marine Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. I'm interested in phylogenetic ecology and am presently researching evolutionary transitions to planktivory in the order Acanthuriformes sensu stricto, which includes tangs, moorish idols, and louvars. Through my work, I hope to gain a better understanding of the phenotype-to-genotype relationships throughout the clade and how climate can influence evolution. Outside of the lab, I am a Divemaster and enjoy exploring and photographing marine life in situ.

Email: p7wong "at" ucsd.edu

Email: gmcrory "at" ucsd.edu 

Having grown up on the coast of Maine, I have long been broadly interested in ichthyology and the ocean as a whole.  I obtained my B.A. from Vassar College, where I worked on the evolution of caudal fin morphology in a population of robot swimmers with Dr. John Long.  As a member of the Arcila lab, I study the ecomorphology of locomotory fins within Tetraodontiformes. My current work examines how the development of mechanical defenses might shift evolutionary selection pressures away from standard flight responses in fish, though I am broadly interested in piscine evolutionary transitions and transformations.

Email: llilienthal "at" ucsd.edu

I am a Biology major at the University of San Diego with a minor in Environmental and Ocean Sciences. I earned an Associate Degree in Biology from San Diego Mesa College. I am currently studying the behavior of the blind goby (Typhlogobius californiensis). My research focuses on behavioral observations, including parental care and metabolism. My research interests center on the evolutionary and physiological adaptations of marine organisms, and I hope to integrate behavioral, ecological, and molecular approaches to better understand how species adapt to changing environments.  In the future.

Email: mar138 "at" ucsd.edu