People

Now accepting Undergraduate Research Assistants for Fall 2024!

Please email Carolyn Tett at ~cat209@pitt.edu~ detailing your interest(s) in this position!

Jess – principle investigator

Hi! I’m Jess Stephenson, Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (since July 2018). Before this, I was a post-doc in Zürich, Switzerland, and before that I was doing my PhD in Cardiff, UK. You can download my C.V. here for more info, or just email: jess.stephenson@pitt.edu.

David Clark – grad student

David is interested in host-parasite eco-evolutionary dynamics. More specifically, they want to explore the cost of parasite infection, how hosts offset this cost, and what factors could influence this interaction.

To learn more about David and their awesome research, visit their website: www.davidclarkeid.com

Or email them: david.clark@pitt.edu

Rachael Kramp – grad student

Rachael is particularly interested in looking at the frequency of hybridization/sexual reproduction of Gyrodactylus turnbulli in response to environmental changes. Specifically, how host skin microbiome disturbance influence infection burden, transmission, and adaptation of our model parasite. Find out more at rachael.kramp@pitt.edu!

Faith Rovenolt – grad student

Faith is interested in modeling host-parasite interactions, especially the role of host resistance and tolerance in disease dynamics as well as the impact of host sex differences and sexual selection. You can contact her at fhr6@pitt.edu.

Carolyn Tett – lab technician/interim lab manager

Carolyn graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2023. After spending a summer working with small mammals at the Utah DNR, she joined us in October 2023. She is completing manager-related duties while we look for an official manager! You can contact her at cat209@pitt.edu.

Undergraduate researchers

We work and have worked with a lot of excellent undergrads, many of whom are not on the website because I (Jess) am very slow at updating it.

Charlie Walsh

James Oberleitner

Kaylee Mulligan

Kelley Troutman

Sadie Evanonv

Sai Middle

Shivam Chand

Surya Venkatesan

Vineet Nayak

Past lab members

Jason Walsman – post doc

Jason develops and tests theory of the interactions between individual-level, disease processes and population-level ecology. Particularly, he is studying interactions between parasite virulence evolution, host social behavior, and within- and between-host interactions.

For more info, see https://jasonwalsman.weebly.com/

or email jcw105@pitt.edu

Mary Janecka – post doc

Mary was an NSF fellow in the lab from 2020-2023, and is now an Assistant Professor at University of Texas El Paso (congrats!!). She still uses the guppy-gyro system from the parasite’s perspective, by addressing cool questions such as ‘What factors affect their transmission and mating strategies?’ For more info, email mjjanecka@utep.edu, or see Mary’s website:

https://maryjanecka.wixsite.com/mysite/about-me

Izabelle Weiler – lab manager

Izabelle managed the people and things in the lab and kept everything running smoothly 2021-2023. She then got 6 gradschool offers – including many fully funded, fellowshipy ones – and is now at University of Arizona.

Regina Patrick – lab manager

Regina helped set up the lab and kept it running smoothly – pandemic and all! She has now moved on to bigger and better water quality things!

Elizabeth Rudzki – grad student

Elizabeth is advised by the awesome Kevin Kohl, and during her time in the lab contributed a lot to our project on the role of the guppy microbiome in mediating its relationship with gyros.

Past Undergraduates

John Hansen

John worked on a few different things because he’s awesome and interested in everything. He analysed behaviour videos, extracted data from published studies, and taught himself R.

Maura Sackett

Maura analysed lots of behavioural videos, read a lot about guppies, gyros, and behaviour, and wrote a manuscript! She majored in communications as well as biology so we shouldn’t be surprised (but still impressed!).

Stevie Kisty

Stevie also analysed a lot of videos (theme emerging!), reads a lot, and has brilliant ideas that improved our experiments.

Maya Jog – Pitt undergrad researcher

Maya analysed a lot of behaviour videos, reviewed the literature on social context and sickness behaviour, and then graduated early to go to med school. Sorry to lose you, Maya, but congrats again!