Biology and AI CURE Showcase
Meet the Spring 2026 cohort and their independent research projects in evolutionary biology. Every student below is conducting original research using phylogenetic comparative methods and AI-assisted analysis.
What is a CURE?
A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) replaces traditional cookbook labs with authentic, discovery-driven research. Unlike standard coursework, every student in a CURE tackles a genuine scientific question whose answer is unknown—meaning their work can contribute to real publications and scientific progress. In Dr. Blackmon's Biology and AI CURE, students combine evolutionary biology with AI-powered tools to formulate hypotheses, build phylogenetic datasets, run comparative analyses, and interpret results at a level typically reserved for graduate research. These are not class exercises; they are real research projects carried out by undergraduates from across the university.
Anabiya Ali
CyprinidaeAnabiya is exploring whether extreme heat environments push fish toward genetic sex determination by mapping sex-determining mechanisms against temperature extremes across freshwater minnows. She is using data on sex determination mode and 95th-percentile maximum temperatures in Cyprinidae.
Khadija Ansari
CetaceansKhadija is investigating the paradox of chromosomal stability in whales and dolphins—most share 2n=44, yet harbor remarkable micro-scale genomic variation. She is exploring whether habitat fragmentation drives cryptic chromosomal restructuring in Cetaceans.
Steven Arackal
CricetidaeSteven is asking whether investment in touch and vision evolve in lockstep across rodents by measuring skull morphology traits linked to sensory structures. He is collecting tactile and visual trait measurements from Cricetidae skulls.
Dharshini Baskaran
DrosophilidaeDharshini is investigating whether specialist fruit flies have streamlined their taste receptor toolkit compared to generalists. She is comparing gustatory receptor gene repertoire sizes against host plant breadth across Drosophilidae.
Carrie Bernard
OdonataCarrie is testing whether habitat type—lentic ponds versus lotic streams—drives the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in dragonflies and damselflies. She is collecting size dimorphism and habitat data across Odonata.
Alexa Burgos
PhasmatodeaAlexa is investigating whether flash-displaying hidden wing colors in stick insects represents an evolutionary stepping stone from camouflage to full warning coloration. She is mapping deimatic and aposematic traits across Phasmatodea.
Ruben Carreno
HemipteraRuben is uncovering the evolutionary rules that govern diet transitions—from sap-feeding to seed-eating to predation—across one of the most ecologically diverse insect orders. He is tracing dietary shifts across a phylogeny of Hemiptera.
Emily Chew
LepidopteraEmily is exploring whether island butterfly and moth populations show accelerated chromosome evolution compared to their mainland relatives. She is comparing chromosomal change rates across island versus mainland Lepidoptera.
Isabella Collins
BrassicaceaeIsabella is testing whether how a plant disperses its seeds—by wind, water, or animal—shapes the pace of its chromosome evolution. She is collecting dispersal mode, dispersal distance, and genome size data across Brassicaceae.
Camille Cordell
AccipitriformesCamille is asking whether hawks and eagles with larger geographic ranges experience different rates of chromosome number evolution than range-restricted species. She is mapping haploid chromosome numbers against range size in Accipitriformes.
Ishan Dash
ScincoideaIshan is testing the drift barrier hypothesis by examining whether island-endemic skinks, with their smaller population sizes, show faster chromosomal evolution than mainland relatives. He is compiling chromosome counts and island-versus-mainland status across Scincoidea.
Sophia Dong
GalliformesSophia is testing whether mating system and sexual dimorphism evolve in concert—as sexual selection theory predicts—across game birds. She is measuring six skeletal dimorphism traits and scoring mating systems in Galliformes.
Michael (Robin) Flanagan
AraneaeRobin is investigating whether colonizing islands triggers shifts in spider silk properties, linking biogeography to biomaterial evolution. They are collecting tensile strength measurements and island-versus-mainland status across Araneae.
Maya Friedman
TestudinesMaya is testing whether habitat—marine, freshwater, or terrestrial—shapes the pace of chromosome number evolution in turtles. She is analyzing haploid numbers for 141 Testudines species alongside their habitat classifications.
Ananya Gudapati
GymnospermsAnanya is exploring whether genome size and wood density evolve together in conifers and their relatives, linking cellular-level genomics to whole-organism traits. She is collecting genome size and wood density measurements across Gymnosperms.
Bevin Haynes
OrthopteraBevin is asking whether having a massive genome speeds up or slows down chromosomal rearrangement and lineage diversification in grasshoppers and crickets. She is compiling genome sizes and chromosome data across Orthoptera.
Anaya Hooda
SerpentesAnaya is testing whether the reduced population sizes of island snakes accelerate their chromosome number evolution compared to continental species. She is collecting chromosome counts and geographic data across Serpentes.
Andrew Jordan
ChiropteraAndrew is pioneering a new hypothesis: that the tail membrane (uropatagium) of bats co-evolves with echolocation, challenging the field's narrow focus on wing shape alone. He is measuring uropatagium dimensions and call parameters across Chiroptera.
Lynn Khalidi
MarsupialiaLynn is investigating whether arboreal versus terrestrial lifestyles shape body size and litter size evolution in marsupials. She is collecting life history and ecological data across Marsupialia.
Ruth Koffi
ScarabaeidaeRuth is testing the drift barrier hypothesis in beetles by asking whether flightless scarab species—with their smaller, more isolated populations—show faster chromosome evolution. She is mapping winglessness and chromosome data across Scarabaeidae.
Amrutha Kosanaum
AnuraAmrutha is asking whether the way a frog develops—hatching as a tadpole versus emerging fully formed—predicts the rate of chromosome evolution. She is using AmphiBIO development mode data and chromosome counts across Anura.
Sienna Kramer
PrimatesSienna is investigating whether sperm competition reshapes both testes investment and sperm energetic design in primates, connecting mating behavior to cellular-level evolution. She is collecting testes size and sperm midpiece length data across Primates.
Joy Lee
HymenopteraJoy is testing whether specialist parasitoid wasps, locked into narrow host relationships, experience faster chromosomal evolution than their generalist relatives. She is collecting host specificity and haploid chromosome numbers across Hymenoptera.
Virginia Lopez
AsteraceaeVirginia is asking whether genome size constrains how many ecoregions a plant species can occupy, linking genome architecture to ecological range. She is analyzing genome size and ecoregion counts across the sunflower family Asteraceae.
Srija Manapuri
ColeopteraSrija is asking whether genome size predicts rates of chromosome evolution across beetles—one of the most species-rich animal orders on Earth. She is compiling genome and chromosome data across Coleoptera.
Ryan Matta
CurculionidaeRyan is testing whether weevil rostrum shape tracks the plant structures they use for egg-laying, supporting an adaptive multi-optimum model of evolution. He is measuring rostrum morphology and oviposition guild across Curculionidae.
Janie Menjivar
GobiidaeJanie is exploring the convergent evolution of pelvic suction disks in goby fishes, asking whether substrate type drives repeated adaptation of this attachment structure. She is measuring relative pelvic disk area and habitat type across Gobiidae.
Robert Millikan
ChondrichthyesRobert is asking whether jaw suspension type acts as an evolutionary constraint on morphological diversification in sharks and rays. He is collecting jaw morphology trait data across Chondrichthyes.
Olivia Montorello
FungiOlivia is investigating whether genome size predicts the rate of chromosome number evolution in fungi, connecting genome architecture to karyotype dynamics. She is compiling genome and chromosome data across Fungi.
Jackson Moore
PalaeognathaeJackson is testing whether habitat drives wing size evolution through selection versus drift in flightless ratites and their flying relatives, the tinamous. He is collecting body mass, wing length, and habitat data across Palaeognathae.
Samy Muktevi
OrchidaceaeSamy is asking whether polyploidy—whole-genome duplication—gives orchids a colonization advantage by expanding their geographic ranges. She is mapping ploidy level against range size across Orchidaceae.
Meghana Munduru
CharacidaeMeghana is testing whether reproductive mode shapes genome size evolution in tetras and characins, linking life history strategy to molecular architecture. She is collecting reproductive and genomic data across Characidae.
Soniya Muñoz
SiluriformesSoniya is asking a fascinating evolutionary sequence question: did catfish become nocturnal before or after evolving body armor? She is scoring armor presence and activity pattern across Siluriformes.
Anna Brooke Naegle
NothobranchiidaeAnna Brooke is exploring whether the boom-and-bust lifecycle of annual killifish—driven by seasonal rainfall—accelerates their chromosome evolution. She is linking precipitation seasonality to chromosome data in Nothobranchiidae.
Tewobola Olasehinde
CarnivoraTewobola is pioneering a computational approach asking whether domestication shifts the shape of the protein-coding landscape in carnivore genomes. They are comparing proteome embedding patterns between domestic and wild Carnivora.
Bhakti Patel
Coffeeae (Rubiaceae)Bhakti is tracing the evolutionary history of caffeine biosynthesis to determine whether this iconic chemical defense evolved once or arose independently multiple times in the coffee tribe. She is scoring caffeine production across approximately 50 species of Coffeeae.
Samshritha Pochanapeddi
LiliaceaeSamshritha is investigating whether genome size influences the rate of chromosome evolution across lilies, connecting molecular-level variation to karyotype dynamics. She is using chromosome counts and genome size data from Kew and NCBI across Liliaceae.
Anjalika Sachan
Pteridophyta (Ferns)Anjalika is testing whether genome size predicts rates of chromosome evolution in ferns—a group famous for their enormous genomes. She is using the Kew Plant DNA C-values Database and chromosome counts across Pteridophyta.
Evelyn Sanchez
AnabantiformesEvelyn is investigating whether reliance on the labyrinth organ—an air-breathing adaptation—correlates with body size and chromosome number evolution in gouramis and their relatives. She is collecting trait data across Anabantiformes.
Kiara Santiago
GekkonidaeKiara is studying chromosome evolution in geckos, one of the most species-rich lizard families. She is collecting karyotype data across Gekkonidae.
Hamzah Sheikh
IguaniaHamzah is testing whether island iguanas and their relatives show faster chromosome evolution than mainland populations, applying the drift barrier framework to reptiles. He is compiling chromosome data across Iguania.
Dana Stavinoha
SolanaceaeDana is asking whether the presence of B chromosomes—those mysterious extra genomic passengers—correlates with genome size evolution in nightshades. She is mapping B chromosome presence and genome size across Solanaceae.
Ava Tingue
ChrysomelidaeAva is testing whether genome size predicts the rate of chromosome number evolution in leaf beetles, one of the most diverse herbivore radiations. She is compiling genome and chromosome data across Chrysomelidae.
Keagan Tran
BlattodeaKeagan is asking whether the evolution of eusociality breaks the classic flight-fecundity trade-off in cockroaches and termites. They are collecting flight capability and fecundity data across Blattodea.
Felix Vasili
ScorpionesFelix is investigating whether a burrowing lifestyle drives the convergent evolution of pectine tooth counts across scorpion lineages. He is compiling pectine morphology and ecology data across Scorpiones.
Thomas Vela
MuridaeThomas is testing the drift barrier hypothesis by asking whether rodents with small home ranges and low population density show faster chromosome evolution. He is using home range, population density, chromosome count, and genome size data across Muridae.
Mary-Jo Velasquez
CaudataMary-Jo is testing whether paedomorphosis—retaining juvenile traits into adulthood—correlates with accelerated chromosome evolution in salamanders. She is mapping developmental strategy against karyotype change rates across Caudata.
Samhita Vemuri
PassifloraceaeSamhita is exploring whether climate—cold and seasonal versus warm and tropical—predicts genome size across passionflowers and their relatives. She is collecting climate and genomic data across Passifloraceae.
Emma Walker
PasseriformesEmma is testing whether migratory songbirds show different chromosome evolution rates than sedentary species, linking behavioral ecology to genome architecture. She is collecting migratory status and chromosome numbers across Passeriformes.
MacKenzie Wilkerson
CoccinellidaeMacKenzie is quantifying elytral melanism in ladybugs to test whether coloration patterns reflect a thermoregulation–habitat trade-off. She is measuring percent black dorsal surface across species in her Coccinellidae phylogeny.
Aiden Nychka
Aiden—project details coming soon.
Heath Blackmon
MetazoaHeath Blackmon is an associate professor and evolutionary biologist leading the Biology and AI CURE. He is testing the Drift Barrier Hypothesis by determining whether large genomes lead to higher rates of chromosome evolution. He is using a dataset of haploid chromosome numbers and sex chromosome systems spanning all of Metazoa.