Members

Lorenz Hauser
Principal Investigator

I joined SAFS in 2002, after completing an MS in Vienna, Austria, another MS and PhD in Wales, UK, and a postdoc at the University of Hull, UK. I am interested in the forces shaping the distribution of genetic variability within and between populations.

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Danielle Schmidt
Postdoctoral Research Associate

Danielle joined us from the University of British Columbia Okangan where she studied the population genomics of rattlesnakes and pikas. She is now working on evolutionary rescue and genomic offsets in Pacific cod.

Anna Simeon
PhD student

Anna completed her MS program at the University of Guam on cryptic diversity in marine algae, after earning a BS in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution at the University of California, San Diego. She is interested in estimating population sizes in marine species from Close-Kin-Mark-Recapture, and is testing the method on Puget Sound Brown Rockfish and South African Great White Sharks. LinkedIn

Elizabeth Boggs
MS student

Liz did her BS at the University of Central Florida, and has been working as an Aquarist at the Seattle aquarium. She is interested in the application of genomics to fish management and conservation. She will continue Anita’s project on the population structure of Puget Sound rockfishes. LinkedIn

Liz out hiking on Mount Rainier

John Proefrock
MS/PhD student

John did his BS at the University of Miami where he gained considerable experience in next generation sequencing and bioinformatics. He is currently enrolled for a Master’s degree but is planning on pursuing a PhD. He is working on the population genomics, habitat requirements and impact of climate change in surf smelt.

Associate Member:
Chris Nolte
PhD (University of Florida)

Chris is working on a PhD at the University of Florida in the Animal Migration and Ecology Lab with Hanna Vander Zanden. He visits our lab occasionally to do his genetic research on leatherback turtle connectivity and demographic history in collaboration with Ronel Nel at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, South Africa.

Alumni

  • Anita Wray
    • MS (2020-2022) Population structure in Puget Sound rockfishes (Sebastes spp): using genetics to inform management of a vulnerable species complex.
    • Present Position: Research Scientist at NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center
    • LinkedIn, Github
  • Dr Eleni Petrou
    • Postdoc (2019 – 2022) Local adaptation and seasonal distribution of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)
    • PhD (2019) Diversity and population structure of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) along the Northwest coast: an interdisciplinary investigation using high-throughput sequencing and ancient DNA
    • Present Position: USGS Research Scientist, Anchorage, Alaska
    • Github
  • Carolyn Tarpey
    • Research Scientist and Lab manager (2016 -2022)
    • Present Position: Bioinformatics Solutions Specialist, TwinStrand Biosciences
    • LinkedIn, Github
  • Dr Natalie Lowell
    • PhD (2021) A genetic risk assessment of native shellfish aquaculture
    • Present Position: Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow
    • LinkedIn, Github
  • Molly Jackson
    • MS (2021) Reproductive biology of farmed purple-hinged rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea)
    • Present Position: Hatchery Manager, Taylor Shellfish
  • Dr Ellie Bors
    • Postdoctoral Research Associate (2020 -2021)
    • Present Position: Foreign Affairs Specialist, NOAA
    • LinkedIn
  • Dr Isadora Jimenez-Hidalgo
    • Lab manger for 14 years (2007-2020), who kept us honest and organized, taught new members and kept things in order. She also worked on a variety of projects, and led the diversity and inclusion efforts of our School.
    • Present position: Diversity Specialist, Renton Community College.
    • LinkedIn
  • Mary Fisher,
    • MS (2018) Korean stock structure and transoceanic divergence in Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)
    • Present Position: PhD student, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington
    • LinkedIn, Github
  • Dr Dan Drinan,
    • Postdoc (2015-2018): Population genomics of Pacific cod and Pacific halibut
    • Present Position: Data Scientist, Expedia
    • LinkedIn, Github
  • Dr Kristen Gruenthal
    • Postdoc (2012-2015): Population genomics of Pacific cod in North America
    • Present Position: NOAA Scientist, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Juneau
  • Dr Atal Saha
    • PhD (2014, University of Tromso, Norway): Genetic population structure, cryptic speciation, hybridization and local adaptation, mainly in North Atlantic redfishes (Sebastes spp.)
    • Present Position: Postdoctoral researcher, University of Agder, Norway
    • LinkedIn
  • Dr Carl Ostberg,
    • PhD (2014): Genomic consequences of hybridization between rainbow and cutthroat trout
    • Present Position: Research Fish Biologist, Western Fisheries Research Center, US Geological Survey
  • Dr Jocelyn Drugan (Lin),
    • PhD 2012: Microevolution, local adaptation, and demography in wild populations of Pacific salmon
    • MS 2007: Genetic divergence among distinct phenotypes of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
    • Present Position: Fisheries Research Scientist, Ocean Outcomes
    • LinkedIn
  • Dr Daniel Peterson,
    • MS 2012: Local adaptation, dispersal, and gene flow in a metapopulation of sockeye salmon
    • PhD 2017, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
    • Present Position: Computational Biologist, Joint Genome Institute
    • LinkedIn
  • Piper Schwenke,
    • MS 2012: History and extent of introgressive hybridization in Puget Sound rockfishes (Sebastes auriculatus, S. caurinus, and S. maliger)
    • Present Position: Forensic Molecular Scientist, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
    • LinkedIn
  • Dr Heather Galindo,
    • Postdoc 2008-2010: Population structure and genetic sex identification in Pacific halibut
    • Present Position: Associate Teaching Professor, University of Washington Bothell
    • LinkedIn
  • Maureen Hess (Waite),
    • MS 2010: Dispersal in Puget Sound brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus) from genetic parentage assignment
    • Present Position: Conservation Geneticist, Columbia River Intertribal Commission.
    • LinkedIn
  • Lisa Fox (Creelman),
    • MS 2010: The genetic structure of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Chignik watershed, Alaska: applications to identifying stock-specific juvenile emigration patterns
    • Present Position: Research Scientist, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
  • Dr Todd Seamons,
    • Postdoc, 2003-2009: Reproductive success of hatchery and wild steelhead in Forks Creek, Washington
    • Present Position: Director, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Dr Mari Kuroki,
    • Postdoc 2008-2009: Dispersal in brown rockfish from transgenerational marking of otoliths
    • Present Position: Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Kathryn Cunningham,
    • MS 2007: Population genetics of Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus): evidence for large and small scale population structure
    • High School Teacher, The Northwest School, Seattle, WA
  • Danielle Mitchell
    • MS 2006: Biocomplexity and metapopulation dynamics of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in Puget Sound, Washington
    • Associate Scientist, Emergent BioSolutions, Seattle, WA
  • James Franks
    • MS 2006: Phylogeography and population genetics of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)
    • LinkedIn