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Please email me directly regarding lab openings. In that email, include your CV and specific interests.
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Brandon S. Cooper
PI
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, UC Davis
PhD, Indiana University

e: brandonscooper gmail com
Google Scholar


​I am broadly interested in evolutionary genetics, population biology, and endosymbiosis. Much of our work focuses on interactions between divergent insect hosts and Wolbachia endosymbionts. I also enjoy thinking about local adaptation, hybridization and introgression, and reproductive isolation and speciation. Our research often leverages cellular-molecular, computational-genomic, and field-based analyses to answer our questions. I enjoy collaborating with others to solve interesting problems, so please reach out any time. RIP Craig.

the gang


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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 to better understand how these endosymbionts interact with hosts to affect reproduction and facilitate their maternal 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 on projects focused on Wolbachia-induced CI strength. She is now developing more independent projects for her thesis.

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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 previously worked with a postdoc on temperature-sensitive CI variation and is now working with graduate student John Statz on several Wolbachia-titer-related projects.

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​Nitin Ravikanthachari (starting May 2023)

Postdoctoral Fellow, PhD, U South Carolina


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
PhD, UM in Cooper lab, now a postdoc

John joined our group as a PhD student in the spring of 2021. John is broadly interested in hos
t-microbe interactions and molecular evolution. John's prior research involved developing primate models for human diseases using CRISPR/Cas9. John's PhD evaluated tissue-specific titer variation and its effects on important host fitness components. John will begin a postdoc with Minx Fuller at Stanford in coming months.

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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
CMMB PhD Stduent
​Senior Researcher, BS & MS U Montana

Tim joined our group as a Senior Researcher after completing an MS in John McCutcheon's lab working on lichen taxonomy. His role has since expanded, with Tim becoming an important contributor to the UMGC and the research of several UM labs. More recently, Tim entered the CMMB PhD programs where his research is focused on fungal genomics. He 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
Basabi Bagchi, Postdoctoral Fellow, U Montana, currently a postdoc at NCBS Bangalore
​​Jennifer Blanc, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently PhD candidate at U Chicago
Peter Burkard, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in medical school
Nick Fisher, Undergraduate, Indiana University, currently an MD
Paul Ginsberg, Research Technician, UC Davis, currently a postdoc at U. Kansas
Emily Hamant, Research Technician, U Montana, currently a PhD student at Cornell
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 Research Genetic Counselor at U. Washington
​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 Researcher in the Center for Translational Medicine

​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 a Clinical Research Coordinator at U. Colorado Anschutz

Catherine Mayo, Undergraduate, UC Davis, currently in industry
​Kyle McGuire, Undergraduate, U Montana
Megan Meany, Laboratory Manager, U Montana, currently a PhD candidate 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 an MD

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 Science Writer and Editor
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
​John W. Terbot II, Postdoctoral Fellow, currently a postdoc with Jeff Jensen at ASU
​Kelley VanVaerenberghe, Graduate student, U Montana, currently an Associate Scientist at FYR 
Signe White, Research Technician, Indiana University, currently a postdoc at Berkeley
​Luna dog. RIP
You?
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Please contact me directly for information about current openings.

Brandon S. Cooper
brandonscooper gmail com
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