CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
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Johanna Kowalko, PhDAssociate ProfessorJohanna received her B.A. from Brown University and her Ph.D in Genetics from Harvard University.
Johanna joined Lehigh in 2021 |
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Stefan ChoyPhD StudentStefan is a first year graduate student in the Kowalko Lab. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.S. in Biological Chemistry in 2020. Stefan joined the lab first as a technician, then as a lab manager, before finally transitioning to a graduate student in 2023. Since joining, Stefan’s main project has been to investigate various behaviors of transgenic surface fish carrying mutations in the oca2 gene, the causal gene for albinism in cavefish.
In his free time, Stefan likes to cook and bake, especially various types of bread! |
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Marcos da SilvaPostdoctoral FellowMarcos is an evolutionary biologist and postdoctoral research associate working on repeated evolution of blind cavefish, jointly with the Meyer Lab at Lehigh University. They received their bachelor and masters from the Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil and their PhD from the University of Basel, Switzerland in 2023 and joined Lehigh in 2025. In their free time, Marcos floats between metal concerts, techno clubs, and punk activism while also focusing on horror films, good wine and mountaineering.
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Brooke CoonrodPhD Student |
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Aubrey ManningLab ManagerAubrey is the Lab Manager for the Kowalko Lab. She is responsible for maintaining the fish colony and supporting lab operations. Additionally, she studies the evolution of behavior in Astyanax and is working to expand the genetic tools available within Astyanax. Aubrey received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lehigh University in 2020. She returned to Lehigh in 2022, joining the lab as a technician then eventually the Lab Manager.
Outside of the lab, Aubrey spends her time enjoying her family, friends, and two cats, Bitty and Blue. |
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Trinity TrainorLab Technician |
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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Kenya NavaUndergraduate StudentKenya is double majoring in Global Studies and Health, Medicine, and Society. She joined the Kowalko lab in 2024, and is using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to disrupt three candidate genes for repeated trait evolution in Astyanax mexicanus surface fish.
In her free time she enjoys long walks, poetry, and cooking. |
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Lei HeltonUndergraduate StudentLei is a senior undergraduate student at Lehigh University pursuing majors in both Behavioral Neuroscience and Art. He is interested in novel methods of examining and quantifying animal behavior and exploring the connection between behavior and biology.
Outside of the lab, Lei has a passion for emergency medicine, studio art, and live music. |
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Youcef GuettatfiUndergraduate student Youcef is currently pursuing a B.S. in Psychology at Lehigh University with a minor in Biology. He works in both psychology and biology labs at Lehigh and is interested in the evolutionary, cognitive, and neurological origins of behavior.
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LAB ALUMNI
Roberto Rodriguez-MoralesPostdoc, now Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
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Itzel Sifuentes-RomeroPostdoc, now Research Scientist at Iowa State University
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Aly PazGraduate student, now a postdoc working with Advancing STEM-Community Engagement through the Neuroscience Discovery Program at the FAU Brain Institute
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Estephany FerrufinoLab manager, now director of laboratories at Stony Brook University
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Briley MullinLab technician, now lab technician at UC Davis
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Sunishka ThakurLab Technician, now a PhD student at UT Austin
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Kasey BeneshLab Technician, now a Post Master's Fellow at EPA
Rianna AmbosiePre-doctoral Research Associate
Devin ShennardGraduate student
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Charlotte MulliniksGraduate student
Renee MapaLab technician, now a PhD student at USC
Kelsey LysekLab technician
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Trinity Trainor |
Jennah Abdelaziz |
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Pre-doctoral Research Associate
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Predoctoral Research Associate, now a medical student
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