Sergey Nuzhdin, Ph.D.

University of Southern California
ARIP Professor
Professor of Biological Science

Website: http://nlab.usc.edu/Home.html

Areas of Expertise

Behavior, Fly Behavior, planaria population genetics, mustard adaptation, legume agriculture,  Plant Genomics, Drosophila Genomics.

The main motivation is to be psyched about science and to have fun doing research. New topics, ideas, systems, and approaches are challenging for the research. At the Nuzhdin Lab, we are focused in research related to quantitative genetics, population genetics, and the genetics of speciation of Drosophila. In addition, members of the lab work on a variety of other systems and topics including environmental interactions and maternal effects in Medicago, stem-cell migration and differentiation in Planaria, and social interaction and aggression among Drosophila genotypes. . Please visit my lab website.

Mathew D. Dean, Ph.D.

University of Southern California
ARIP Professor
Assistant Professor of Biological Science
Molecular and Computational Biology 

Website: http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~matthedd/index.html

Areas of Expertise

In the broadest sense, the Dean lab studies evolutionary biology. More specifically, we are interested in sexual selection, and how males and females adapt to increase their own productive fitness. We integrate three methodological approaches: molecular, computational, and experimental. The wealth of publicly available data, coupled with bioinformatic skills, allows us to investigate lots of “side projects” revolving around evolutionary biology. Please visit my lab website.

Regina Wetzer, Ph.D.

University of Southern California
(LA Museum of Natural History)
ARIP Professor
Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology Science
Phylogenetic biology

Areas of Expertise

Interested in evolutionary questions about invertebrates and uses phylogenetic inference to investigate broad evolutionary patterns at a macroevolutionary scale. Her specialty is Crustacean with a focus on marine isopods (pill bug). The research includes exploring evolutionary hypotheses involving previously unexplained life history traits, homoplastic morphological features, and biogeographic distributions.