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Brandon S. Cooper
Associate Professor, PhD Indiana University-Bloomington e: brandon . cooper umontana edu Google Scholar I am an evolutionary geneticist broadly interested in population biology and endosymbiosis. Prior to my current role, I was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at UC Davis with Prof. Michael Turelli. Most of my work focuses on explaining the spread and maintenance of endosymbiotic Wolbachia infections in insects. I also enjoy thinking about hybridization/introgression, reproductive isolation and speciation, and other evolutionary/population/genetic problems. |
the gang
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Basabi Bagchi
Postdoctoral Fellow, PhD, Ashoka University Basabi did her Bachelors and Masters in Microbiology and Biochemistry, and she is currently finishing her PhD in Evolutionary Immunology with Prof. Imroze Khan. Basabi is broadly interested in host-microbe interactions and immunology. In our lab, Basabi is leveraging her integrative skillset to better understand how Wolbachia interact with their hosts and other microbes, and how those interactions shape Wolbachia spread and prevalence in nature. Basabi is also helping lead a large analysis of CI-strength variation. |
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Will Conner
Bioinformatics Research Assistant, Cat wrangler, BS UC Davis Will evaluates modes of Wolbachia acquisition and patterns of genomic variation in many Wolbachia-infected host species. More generally, Will is involved in almost all of the computational work in the lab, and his expertise is crucial to the progress we are making in several systems. |
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Hunter Hill
Postdoctoral Fellow, PhD U Utah Hunter completed his BS and PhD at U Utah working in the Golic lab. His work combined classic genetics and modern approaches to studying chromosome biology in D. melanogaster. Hunter is interested in applying his skillset to Wolbachia host interactions to better understand how these endosymbionts interact with hosts to affect their reproduction and to facilitate their own transmission. |
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Anna Imes
Undergraduate Honors student Anna is an Honors Student that joined the lab in the spring of 2023. Anna worked with Kelley VanVaerenberghe to initially characterize temperature effects on Wolbachia-induced CI strength. Over the next two years, Anna will develop more independent projects for her thesis. |
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Kyle McGuire
Undergraduate Kyle is working on several projects related to the causes and consequences of variable CI strength. Kyle's work has been crucial to our understanding of how Wolbachia abundance and cif expression influences CI strength. Over the next few months, Kyle is specifically focused on a collaboration with Prof. Dylan Shropshire and postdoc Basabi Bagchi. |
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Elena Provencal
Undergraduate Elena joined the lab in the fall of 2023 and is broadly interested in molecular and cell biology. She is currently collaborating with Postdoc Basabi Bagchi and other, evaluating variation in CI strength and its underlying mechanisms. |
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Nitin Ravikanthachari (starting May 2023) Postdoctoral Fellow, PhD, U South Carolina Website Nitin is a broadly trained naturalist interested in evolution, ecology and genomics. His current research with Prof. Carol Boggs aims to understand maladaptation in species interactions with a special focus on herbivore-plant interactions. Nitin is interested in extending his work to host-Wolbachia interactions. In our lab, Nitin will develop projects that leverage his integrative interests and skills to better understand the causes and consequences of Wolbachia spread through time and space in diverse insect species. |
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John Statz
CMMB Graduate Student, BS U Minnesota Duluth John joined our group as a PhD student in the spring of 2021. John is broadly interested in host-microbe interactions and molecular evolution. John's prior research involved developing primate models for human diseases using CRISPR/Cas9. For his thesis, John is evaluating the tissue-specific titer variation and its effects on important phenotypes. John is also taking multiple approaches to dissect the relative contributions of host and Wolbachia genomic variation to several traits. |
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John W. Terbot II
Postdoctoral Fellow, PhD U Kentucky Terbot earned their PhD at the University of Kentucky studying the social behavior of pine sawfly larvae advised by Catherine Linnen. His work in the Cooper lab is currently focused on SARS-CoV-2 evolution through time and space, in collaboration with the labs of Profs. Jeff Good at UM and Jeff Jensen at Arizona State University. |
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Ella Walters
Undergraduate Honors student Ella joined the lab in the fall of 2022 as a sophomore honors student. Ella is interested in gaining research experience over the next few years as she plans for a career in genetic counseling. This will include completing an honors thesis in the lab over the next two years. |
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Tim Wheeler
Senior Researcher, BS & MS U Montana Website Tim recently finished an MS in John McCutcheon's lab working on the taxonomy of lichens. Tim is an amazing naturalist and brings a lot of knowledge to the lab with emphasis on fungi in and around western Montana. Tim is also a fantastic photographer. See more here. |
Gone, but not forgotten...
Lindsay Axelrod, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in industry
Jessica Bailey, Laboratory Technician/Rotation grad, U Montana
Jennifer Blanc, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently PhD student at U Chicago
Peter Burkard, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in medical school
Nick Fisher, Undergraduate, Indiana University, currently in medical school
Paul Ginsberg, Research Technician, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at U Georgia
Emily Hamant, Research Technician, U Montana, currently somewhere in Idaho preparing for graduate school at TBD
Michael T.J. Hague, Postdoctoral Fellow, U Montana, currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Scranton
Madilyn Head, Research Technician, U Montana, currently a technician in the Secor lab at UM
Liz Heaton, Research Technician, U Montana, currently a UM student
Isaac Humble, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently living the dream in Hawaii
John Kaiser, Rotation grad, currently at FYR Diagnostics
Andy Katznelson, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a graduate student at U Cambridge
Kevin Kim, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a research technician with Michael Turelli
Maria Kirby, Laboratory Technician, U Montana, currently applying to Pharmacy school
Lacey Kludt, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently applying to PA school
Erin Markham, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently at the McLaughlin Research Institute
Catherine Mayo, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in industry
Megan Meany, Laboratory Manager, U Montana, currently a PhD student at U Georgia
Dawit Mengistu, Laboratory Technician, U Montana, currently a researcher in the Secor lab at UM
Huong Nguyen, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently an MS student at UC Berkeley
Paighton Noel, Undergraduate/postbac, U Montana, currently in med school at the University of Utah
Jasmine Osei-Enin, Undergraduate, McNair Scholar, UC Davis, currently a researcher in Grace Lee's lab
Brooke Peckenpaugh, Research Technician, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at Indiana U
Sophia Richter, High school researcher, U Montana, currently an undergraduate at Princeton
Federica Sartori, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at NYU
Dylan Shropshire, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, currently an Assistant Professor at Lehigh University
Kelley VanVaerenberghe, Graduate student, U Montana, currently completing an MS thesis
Signe White, Research Technician, Indiana University, currently a PhD student at Emory U
Luna dog. RIP
Jessica Bailey, Laboratory Technician/Rotation grad, U Montana
Jennifer Blanc, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently PhD student at U Chicago
Peter Burkard, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in medical school
Nick Fisher, Undergraduate, Indiana University, currently in medical school
Paul Ginsberg, Research Technician, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at U Georgia
Emily Hamant, Research Technician, U Montana, currently somewhere in Idaho preparing for graduate school at TBD
Michael T.J. Hague, Postdoctoral Fellow, U Montana, currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Scranton
Madilyn Head, Research Technician, U Montana, currently a technician in the Secor lab at UM
Liz Heaton, Research Technician, U Montana, currently a UM student
Isaac Humble, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently living the dream in Hawaii
John Kaiser, Rotation grad, currently at FYR Diagnostics
Andy Katznelson, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a graduate student at U Cambridge
Kevin Kim, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a research technician with Michael Turelli
Maria Kirby, Laboratory Technician, U Montana, currently applying to Pharmacy school
Lacey Kludt, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently applying to PA school
Erin Markham, Undergraduate, U Montana, currently at the McLaughlin Research Institute
Catherine Mayo, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in industry
Megan Meany, Laboratory Manager, U Montana, currently a PhD student at U Georgia
Dawit Mengistu, Laboratory Technician, U Montana, currently a researcher in the Secor lab at UM
Huong Nguyen, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently an MS student at UC Berkeley
Paighton Noel, Undergraduate/postbac, U Montana, currently in med school at the University of Utah
Jasmine Osei-Enin, Undergraduate, McNair Scholar, UC Davis, currently a researcher in Grace Lee's lab
Brooke Peckenpaugh, Research Technician, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at Indiana U
Sophia Richter, High school researcher, U Montana, currently an undergraduate at Princeton
Federica Sartori, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently a PhD student at NYU
Dylan Shropshire, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, currently an Assistant Professor at Lehigh University
Kelley VanVaerenberghe, Graduate student, U Montana, currently completing an MS thesis
Signe White, Research Technician, Indiana University, currently a PhD student at Emory U
Luna dog. RIP
You?
We value diverse ideas and experiences and would love for you to join our collaborative environment. Please contact me directly for information about current openings.
Brandon S. Cooper
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. HS 104
Missoula, MT 59812
brandon.cooper AT mso.umt.edu
We value diverse ideas and experiences and would love for you to join our collaborative environment. Please contact me directly for information about current openings.
Brandon S. Cooper
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. HS 104
Missoula, MT 59812
brandon.cooper AT mso.umt.edu