Caiti Smukowski Heil, PhD
Asst. Professor, NC State University
Before starting the lab in 2019, I was a PhD student at Duke University with Mohamed Noor and a postdoc at the University of Washington with Maitreya Dunham. Outside of the lab, you can find me hanging out with my family and my cats, Monkey & Business. I like listening to podcasts, yeast fermentations, and exploring the great outdoors.
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Nathan Brandt
Lab Manager
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Jessica McNeill
Lab Technician
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Jessica joins the lab as a Research Technician and an NC State alumna, having graduated from the university in 2019 with a B.S. in Human Biology, a B.A. in Anthropology, and a passion for evolutionary science. Her current work supports research on the effects of environmental factors such as temperature on meiotic recombination in Saccharomyces yeasts. Outside the lab, Jessica enjoys doodling in her sketchbook, participating in public science outreach at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and exploring cool new places with her husband Morgan.
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Antoine Houtain
Postdoctoral Fellow
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During his Ph.D. in Belgium, at the Universities of Brussels and Namur, Antoine focused on the dynamics of genome evolution in asexual species of bdelloid rotifers. His research centered on the lab model Adineta vaga and wild strains of Adineta sp. Antoine also collaborated on several genomics projects, including studies on Artemia shrimps and Corbicula clams. Alongside exploring the genomics of asexuality, he investigated the extreme tolerance of bdelloid rotifers, examining how they survive DNA damage and harsh environments through genome analysis after damage induction.
When away from the lab or computer, Antoine can usually be found on a badminton court or spending time outdoors walking, running, or hiking.
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Margot Ruffieux
PhD Student, Functional Genomics
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Margot is studying domestication in Saccharomyces
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Manav Rohilla
PhD Student, Bioinformatics
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Manav graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in bioinformatics and a minor in biology. His main interest is evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics is his favorite way to study it! His current research involves analyzing the effects of directional selection on traits on the evolution of recombination rate in yeast populations. If you don't see him in the lab, there's a good chance he's in one of the several coffee shops on or near campus!
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Undergraduate Researchers
Rishi Gupta
Rishi is a senior Computer Sciences major working on experimental evolution.
Connor Page
Connor is a rising senior Genetics major working on genetics of acetic acid tolerance.
You? We are recruiting PhD students!
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Former Lab Members
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Olivia Caruso, Undergraduate Researcher, 2023-25
Enrique Schwarzkopf, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2021-24
Amani Petway, Undergraduate Researcher, 2023-24
Nico Sevier, Undergraduate Researcher, 2022-23
M. Elizabeth Moore, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, 2021-23
Alexxis Gutierrez, Undergraduate Researcher, 2021-22
Lauren Bailey, M.S. in Functional Genomics, 2020-22
Mili Jimenez, Undergraduate Researcher, 2021-22
Anna Cormack, Undergraduate Researcher, 2019-21
Amilcar Rodriguez, Undergraduate Researcher, 2019-21
Caiti Lahue, Technician in Dunn and Heil labs, 2019-21
Musa Malik, Undergraduate Researcher, 2019-20