Caving for bats, Mount Morungole, Acholi District, Uganda William Daniels, National Geographic
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I am an Assistant Project Scientist in the Center for Microbiome Innovation at UCSD, with joint appointments at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Pediatrics. My research explores eco-evolutionary relationships between microbial symbionts, parasites, pathogens, and animal and human hosts.
I believe strongly in the value of scientific collections, and work to promote the curation, growth, and utilization of museum collections around the world. A top priority in my work is engaging local collaborators in sampling for the establishment of baseline measures of vertebrate and symbiont diversity, and preservation of specimens for future questions we cannot yet conceive.
When not working, I like to photograph things, hunt, catch birds, and go on adventures with my serval hybrid, Pangur.
I am an Assistant Project Scientist in the Center for Microbiome Innovation at UCSD, with joint appointments at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Pediatrics. My research explores eco-evolutionary relationships between microbial symbionts, parasites, pathogens, and animal and human hosts.
I believe strongly in the value of scientific collections, and work to promote the curation, growth, and utilization of museum collections around the world. A top priority in my work is engaging local collaborators in sampling for the establishment of baseline measures of vertebrate and symbiont diversity, and preservation of specimens for future questions we cannot yet conceive.
When not working, I like to photograph things, hunt, catch birds, and go on adventures with my serval hybrid, Pangur.
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Professional Appointments
Assistant Project Scientist (2020 - present) Center for Microbiome Innovation Scripps Institution of Oceanography | Department of Pediatrics University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA Research Associate (2017 - present) Negaunee Integrative Research Center Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow (2017 - 2019) Microbiome Center | Department of Surgery University of Chicago, Chicago, IL National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2013-2016) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Lester Armour and William A. & Stella M. Rowley Graduate Research Fellow (2014 - 2015) Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL Presidential Life Sciences Fellow (2011 - 2012) Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Staff Scientist (2009 - 2011) Emerging Pathogens Project Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL Societies & Service Museums and Emerging Pathogens in the Americas (MEPA) Board of Editors of mSystems® American Society of Mammalogists
American Ornithological Society Ecological Society of America American Society of Parasitologists Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections |
Education
Cornell University (2011 - 2016) Ph.D., Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences; Cornell Lab of Ornithology Thesis: Ecology and evolution of malarial parasites in African vertebrates University of Chicago (2005 - 2009) A.B., Biological Sciences A.B., Specialization in Ecology & Evolution Thesis: Biogeography and spatiotemporal diversification of Selenidera and Andigena toucans Grants & Awards (Post-doctoral) 2020 Negaunee Seed Grant ($28,100) 2019 Grainger Bioinformatics Center Award ($12,375) 2019 Council on Africa, Field Museum of Natural History ($5,976) 2017 NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology ($138,000) (Pre-doctoral) 2015 Edward A. Bouchet Honor Society Fellow 2015 Athena Fund, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2014 Field Museum of Natural History Graduate Fellowship 2014 Illumina MiSeq Grant, Pritzker Laboratory, FMNH 2014 CALS Alumni Association Grant 2014 Cornell Center for Comparative & Population Genomics 2013 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship 2013 NSF Malaria Research Coordination Network 2013 American Society of Naturalists 2013 Athena Fund, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2012 Sigma Xi, Cornell Chapter 2012 Andrew W. Mellon Grant 2012 NSF Malaria Research Coordination Network 2011 Cornell University Presidential Life Sciences Fellowship 2011 Krammer Graduate Research Grant |
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Other fun things...
Specimen Prep & Taxidermy
Accipiter cooperii, Cooper's Hawk
I am grateful for the guidance, support, and friendship of Tom Gnoske, chief preparator at the Field Museum of Natural History. Tom has taught me many things, including (and certainly not limited to) the art of specimen preparation, field work logistics, and how to make a mean local hooch cocktail. He also gave me the chance to try my hand at taxidermy, which I see as a unique blend of science and art (and a welcome break from computers and pipettes).
Check out Bird Collections at the Field Museum of Natural History and Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates
Check out Bird Collections at the Field Museum of Natural History and Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates
A lousy honor...
Cotingacola lutzae, ex. Laniocera hypopyrra (Cinereous Mourner)
Thanks to my collaborator, Jason Weckstein, for naming this gorgeous animal after me. Jason studies the coevolution of birds and lice, among other things, and is currently leading a project with John Bates (Field Museum of Natural History) and Alexandre Aleixo (Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi) to study Amazonian bird and parasite diversity. You can read more about their expeditions here!
Valim & Weckstein 2012
Valim & Weckstein 2012