I am an Argentine researcher born in Buenos Aires but now settled in Misiones province. I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in genetics and a Ph.D. in biological sciences. I am passionate about evolutionary biology, and focused most of my career on chromosome evolution of vertebrates, with emphasis on supernumerary (B) and sex chromosomes. In 2022, I started a position as a researcher at the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), to study the evolution of B chromosomes in Neotropical frogs with a genomics approach. Despite spending much of my time at the microscope, lab bench, and computer, I always took advantage of every opportunity to accompany different colleagues to study all kinds of animals in the field in different locations in Argentina, Brazil, & Paraguay. 

 In my collaboration with the TropBioLab, we investigate genome evolution of parasitic insects and their hosts, as well as the possible genomic conflicts arising from the extreme differentiation between sexes.

RJ Millena (she/her) 

 Department of Biology Postdoctoral Fellow in Integrative Biology

I grew up as part of a large Filipino family in the East Bay of Northern California, where I spent my time catching insects in the natural spaces surrounding my childhood home. In accordance with my love for insects, I attended University of California, Davis for my B.S. in Entomology and minors in Nematology and Evolution, Ecology, & Biodiversity. My entomological research career began at UCD with funding through the UC LEADS program and Dr. Jay Rosenheim as my advisor. At the UCD Bohart Museum of Entomology I was introduced to my favorite parasite, Strepsiptera, and have decided to dedicate my life to studying this fascinating insect order. I received my PhD in Comparative Biology from the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Graduate School. My primary advisor there was Dr. Jessica Ware, and my dissertation is focused on the systematics and associations of Strepsiptera. 

I am thrilled to be in the TropBioLab as a UR Dept. of Biology Postdoctoral Fellow, and am extremely grateful to be part of this brilliant and diverse lab family.

email: rmillena(at)ur.rochester.edu

RJ's website  

Aditi Jasapara (she/her) MS Student in Data Science - Genomics Track 

I was born in San Jose, CA and lived in Allentown, PA before starting my undergraduate at Rochester. I pursued a dual degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, with a minor in Statistics. As a kid, my parents were avid students of Sanskrit grammar and Vedantic philosophy, and the wide natural expanse behind our temple became my playground. I fell in love with the outdoors when I began to apply the systems of inquisition that my parents used in their classes to my questions about how the natural world works. 

In Fall 2023, I studied abroad in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands through the Trop Bio Lab’s NSF IRES program.  I explored the link between the geographic distribution and climatic conditions of the fungal parasite Ophiocordyceps on the invasive paper wasp Polistes versicolor. In the Mora-Kepfer Uy Lab, I also worked on the demographic history of thermal tolerance in the social wasp, Mischocyttarus mexicanus. I was thrilled and grateful for the support of the NSF IRES program and the Schwartz Discover Grant, as well as to be working with the Trop Bio Lab! As a graduate student, I am exploring the molecular and chemical basis of recognition in weaver ants.

Huin Lee (he/his) Rotation doctoral student  

Natasha Vacca (she/her) Rotation doctoral student 

NSF Graduate Research Fellow;  Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Fellow

Levinson-Shapiro Student Scholar 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Yeshua Alba (él/he/him)

Discover Summer Fellow; Levinson-Shapiro Student Scholar

Aidan Flanders (he/him)

I grew up in Boston, where I spent the majority of my time roaming the ponds, rivers, and shoreline of New England with a fishing rod in my hand. It was this close proximity to nature that developed my love for everything outdoors. I was the kid who would get completely absorbed in watching the natural world around me, constantly getting distracted by a line of ants on the ground, or a red-tailed hawk in a nearby tree. I knew in the fifth grade that I wanted to study biology, and since then, my interest in the way the natural world operates has only deepened. I surprised nobody when I chose to major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology here at the University of Rochester. I intend to pursue a PhD and conduct research that can support more effective species conservation measures. While I am still determining my long-term project in the Trop Bio Lab, I am beyond excited for the opportunity to work and grow as a scientist alongside all the amazing people here! 

Zoe O'Kane (she/her)

I grew up in Kingston, New Hampshire, where a childhood enriched by the wilderness has persuaded me to dedicate my studies to understanding its unique systems and interactions. Growing up surrounded by forests, mountains, and the ocean endowed me with a deep admiration and curiosity for nature, which I am now excited to explore deeper as a member of the Mora-Kepfer Uy Lab Team. As an undergraduate student, I am pursuing a BS in Molecular Genetics with a Minor in Spanish. I hope to use the fundamentals of genetics to analyze detrimental effects on biological systems at the molecular level, and craft precise therapies to correct such afflictions. As a recent addition to the lab, I am prepared for the adventure of honing and refining my laboratory skills as I learn from the studies and experiences of my team. I am more than appreciative of the opportunity that working with this group has provided for me and am prepared to grow my skillset as a biologist and researcher.

Gianna Pettine (she/her)

LAB MANAGERS: 3PO & Ringo

All lab decisions are ratified by 

the Lab Managers.