Associate Professor
I am from Argentina, and after studying Biology at the National University of Córdoba (Argentina) and at the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland), I got a Master's and then a PhD at the Evolutionary Entomology at the E-vol lab at the University of Neuchatel, after what I got funded by the Swiss and US National Science Foundations to post-doc at the University of Idaho, and learn more about coevolution and model selection.
Over the years, I developed a fascination for specialized pollination interactions (Trollius, Arum, Calceolaria) and pollination communities, which I think are great for answering questions in ecology and evolution.
Along my career I had the luck to learn from many smart and kind people, like Nadir Alvarez, Scott Nuismer, Jack Sullivan, Dave Tank, Tara Pelletier, and Bryan Carstens.
PS: and in case you were wondering how to pronounce my name, read these three letters: N.I.E. That's how. ;)
Over the years, I developed a fascination for specialized pollination interactions (Trollius, Arum, Calceolaria) and pollination communities, which I think are great for answering questions in ecology and evolution.
Along my career I had the luck to learn from many smart and kind people, like Nadir Alvarez, Scott Nuismer, Jack Sullivan, Dave Tank, Tara Pelletier, and Bryan Carstens.
PS: and in case you were wondering how to pronounce my name, read these three letters: N.I.E. That's how. ;)
Post-Docs
Nicolas Medina
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[email protected]
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My research addresses the drivers and origins of plant diversity across macro- and micro-evolutionary scales. I use fieldwork, genomic tools, phylogenetics, phylogeography, and comparative methods to study the evolution of angiosperms. I have been fortunate enough to work with multiple systems: figs, cacti, Acanths, and more recently Calceolaria. My love for nature and the outdoors fuels my motivation to contribute to plant knowledge. I am proudly queer, Latino, and always strive to create more of an inclusive community within academia and the sciences.
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Graduate Students
Katy Ciola Evans
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[email protected]
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I am a central Floridian and completed my BA in Zoology from the University of Florida in 2009. As an undergraduate, I worked in many labs ranging from molecular genetics to apiculture and spent one summer in Costa Rica as a field technician. Afterwards, I became a certified African honeybee technician for USDA/APHIS and investigated tissue and cell-specific gene expression in maize in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at UF. I received my MS in 2015 from the University of Delaware in Entomology with Professor Deborah Delaney. My thesis focused on sustainable management strategies of honeybees, specifically how interruptions in brood-cycles can be used as a non-chemical management tool to reduce varroa mite populations. After graduating, I spent several years as a lab technician at Penn State Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research working on a variety of projects from cucurbitaceae volatiles and lasioglossum barcoding to community science and blueberry pollination. I came to UMD to study with the #Espíndolab and am generally interested in plant-pollinator mutualisms and edamame pollination. I love flowers and reaching out to the community to highlight the importance of insects in our daily lives. I try to give bugs the positive publicity that they deserve!
Twitter: @katyciola Visit Katy's personal website |
Justin O'Neill
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[email protected]
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I studied at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania for my M. S. There, I contributed ecological niche models to a variety of phylogeographic and integrative taxonomic projects focused on Central American amphibians. During my time at IUP, I also helped with a project looking at habitat characteristics that promoted native pollinator density in early successional forests of Pennsylvania. In the Espíndola lab, I hope to further cultivate my interest in insect ecology and conservation studying pollinators in endangered Serpentine Grasslands. In my free time, I enjoy being out in the woods riding mountain bike or marveling at insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Visit Justin's personal website |
Taís Ribeiro
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[email protected]
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I am from Brazil and came all the way to Maryland to be a PhD student at the EspindoLab! As for my academic formation, I am a bachelor and licensed for teaching Biological Sciences, I did both my undergraduate and Master at the University of Brasilia , advised by Prof. Antonio Aguiar and Dr. Aline Martins. My main research interests are evolutionary biology and biogeography, especially when it comes to the evolution of oil-bees and their association with oil-host plants. In my Masters, I studied the evolution and ecological niches of the oil collecting bees of genus Lanthanomelissa, and how its biogeography reflects the origin and diversification of the South American Grasslands. Here at the EspindoLab I am looking at the evolution of the oil-bee genus Chalepogenus and their oil-collection preferences, especially in respect to Calceolaria flowers, and using phylogenomic approches.
Twitter: @taismattoso Visit Taís' personal website |
Jenan El-Hifnawi
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I initially joined the EspíndoLab as a field assistant, while completing my BA in Biology with a Minor in Entomology at UMD. I subsequently joined as lab manager for 2022-2023, and am now completing a Masters in the lab as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.
My research harnesses UCE sequencing to study the evolution of four bee species endemic to the Andes using museum specimens. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of the Ice Age on the evolution of biodiversity in the region. I'm passionate about understanding and protecting biodiversity, and increasing access to our knowledge of it. Outside of entomology, I am obsessed with my dog and my indoor jungle of house plants. |
Undergraduate Students
We're often looking for interested undergraduates. Get in touch with Anahi Espindola (anahiesp[at]umd.edu) if interested.
Past Members
Shweta Basnett
[email protected]
Shweta was a post-doc in the lab focusing on the ecology and evolution of genus Rhododendron in relation to pollinators and climate.
To know more about her research: https://basnettshweta.weebly.com/
[email protected]
Shweta was a post-doc in the lab focusing on the ecology and evolution of genus Rhododendron in relation to pollinators and climate.
To know more about her research: https://basnettshweta.weebly.com/
Michael Roswell
[email protected]
Michael was a post-doc in the lab and worked on using biodiversity and spatial datasets to predict conservation needs, and on outreach programming with schools and other youth groups.
To know more, visit Michael's personal website.
[email protected]
Michael was a post-doc in the lab and worked on using biodiversity and spatial datasets to predict conservation needs, and on outreach programming with schools and other youth groups.
To know more, visit Michael's personal website.
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Cecile Kenny
[email protected] Cecile was a Lab Manager in the EspindoLab, and is now working for the NYC Public Health Lab. |
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Lauren Frankel
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Eric CrandellEric was an Honors undergraduate student in the lab, and worked on understanding the diversity of pollination interactions in the Serpentine Grassland of Maryland. Eric is now a Graduate Student at Clemson University.
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