• PI: Angelo
  • Postdoc: Bruna
  • Postdoc: Karen
  • Phd student: Pedro
  • Undergrad: Kamil
  • Undergrad: Asyra
<
>
J. Angel Soto-Centeno, PhD
I’m interested in population level processes and combine phylogeography, species distribution modeling, and fossils to solve evolutionary & demographic questions. I study recent mammal extinctions in the Caribbean, primarily in bats. I use genetic, fossil, and distribution model data to examine how recent climate change (i.e. from Pleistocene to Holocene) and anthropogenic habitat change affected populations of island bats. The combined use of these data is powerful and help us evaluate hypotheses about the evolutionary processes that shaped island bats and how they reacted to climate change and habitat change from past to present. By using this framework, I hope to improve our understanding of what happens to these bats today and better predict what may happen to them in the future. This program is question-driven and I have also applied these tools to other systems (e.g. rodents, cervids, and amphibians) in island and mainland environments. Other areas of research in my lab include questions on demography, population connectivity, community composition, natural history and speciation/species delimitation in mammals. ​
Check out Angelo's Google Scholar for a sample of publications.
Get an up-to-date version of Angelo's CV here.
Bruna da Silva Fonseca, PhD
Bruna is an expert on Neotropical bats and a lab genie. Her research focuses on the phylogeography of Caribbean bats, studying their morphological variation, phylogenetics, and population demographics. She has been in charge of developing and streamlining all laboratory methods for UCEs, RADseq, and aims to expand this to genome sequencing.
Karen Olsen, PhD
Karen is interested in phylogeography and population genetics of insular mammals. Currently, she is an IRACDA – INSPIRE postdoc at RU-N. Her first appearance was in Batman #181 (1966).
Pedro Ivo Monico (graduate student, PhD)
Pedro's passion is island biogeography and he is examining the importance of insular systems in the formation of species limits in widely distributed big brown bats. His first appearance was in World's Finest Comics #3 (1941).
Kamil Kozlowski (undergraduate student)
Kamil is interested in biodiversity conservation in urban systems. He has been crunching through bat echolocation data from New Jersey. His next project will include general mammal surveys (i.e. rodents, carnivores, and bats) across urban systems and forest parks in New Jersey. His first appearance was in Batman #121 (1959).
Asyra Simon (undergraduate student)
Asyra is a paleontologist at heart. At the SLaBB they are working on vertebrate species identification and developing chronologies of extinction from Puerto Rico. They first appeared in Detective Comics #666 (1993).

Student and professional research at ​the SLaBB

Interested in our studies? 
If you are interested in biogeography, ecological niche modeling, paleontology, phylogeography, and systematics of bats, or other mammals, reach out to the PI for a chat. 

Are you a good match for the SLaBB?
We seek hard workers, independent thinkers, creators, problem solvers, highly motivated, and punctual scientists. You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to do the necessary background reading, lab and field work, data analysis, and writing to take your project to the finish line. Whether you work on a new idea or were given a project from the lab, you are expected to take ownership and do what it takes to complete the work; it is your own experience and no one will do it for you. 

How to join:
  • For PhD or MS degree info, go here.
    • ​If you are interested in joining the lab as a graduate student, first read these: Modest Advise (by SC Stearns) and RB Huey's response. Then reach out to the PI.
  • Undergrads looking for research opportunities, follow the list below before inquiring:
    1. familiarize yourself with the ongoing research in the lab by reading some of our papers
    2. ask yourself "why do I want to join this lab?"
    3. stay grounded and be realistic – for a research experience to be meaningful, it typically requires at least 30 hrs of work/week in the summer and/or at least 10 hrs of work/week during the semester. Anything less than that will not work
    4. always remember that doing research is our job, not a hobby
No funded post-docs open at this time. Reach out if you are interested in applying for funding and joining the SLaBB.

Past members at RU, AMNH, and FLMNH (* = published work)

24. Camilo Calderón-Acevedo (Rutgers University, 2020–2022, postdoctoral scholar)
23. Amani Abdelsalam (Rutgers University, 2020–2022, MS student graduate)
22. Xitlaly Franquez (Pitzer College, Urban Ecology Summer REU 2021)
21. Brianna Rosania (Rutgers-Newark, Urban Ecology Summer REU 2021)
20. Abhi Salunia (Rutgers-Newark, 2021)
19. Teresa Mendoza (Rutgers-Newark, 2020–2021 LSAMP)
18. Coral Caceres (Rutgers-Newark, 2020)
17. Alejandra Urbano (Rutgers-Newark, 2019–2020 LSAMP)
16. Ashley Moraski (Rutgers-Newark, 2018–2020)
15. Shahida Kamal (Rutgers-Newark, 2019)
14. Katherine Vazquez (Rutgers-Newark, 2018–2019 LSAMP)
13. Kendall Sweeney (Rutgers-Newark, 2018–2019)
12. Brianna Thai (AMNH. NSF SRMP, Brooklyn Technical High School, Fall 2015–Spring 2016)
11. Cherena Bradley (AMNH. NSF SRMP, Health Professions High School, Fall 2015–Spring 2016)
10. Aja C. Marcato (AMNH. MS Long Island University, LIU Post, Summer–Fall 2014)
9. Maggie O’Brien* (AMNH. NSF REU, Manhattan College, Summer 2014–Spring 2015)
8. Lauren Frankel (AMNH. High School Intern, Bergen County Academies, Fall 2014–Spring 2015)
7. Tali Magori (AMNH. Tel Aviv University PhD visiting scientist, Fall 2014)
6. Isabel Gomez (AMNH. Undergraduate Intern, Harvard University, Summer 2014)
5. Melina G. Marte* (FLMNH. BS University of Florida, Fall 2010–Spring 2013)
4. Brandi Jo Petronio (FLMNH. BS University of Florida, Spring–Fall 2012)
3. Kristin C. Magrini­­­ (FLMNH. BS University of Florida, Fall 2011–Spring 2012)
2. Sergio C. Gonzalez* (FLMNH. BS University of Florida, Spring–Fall 2009)
1. Lisa N. Barrow* (FLMNH. BS University of Florida, Spring–Summer 2009)

We have terrific collaborations with:

Marcelo Gehara (American Museum of Natural History)
Carlos A. Mancina (Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática de Cuba)
​Joha Orihuela (Florida International University)
Armando Rodríguez-Durán (Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico)
​Sara Ruane (Field Museum of Natural History)
Gilberto Silva Taboada (Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba)
Nancy B. Simmons (American Museum of Natural History)
Brian T. Smith (American Museum of Natural History)
David W. Steadman (Florida Museum of Natural History)
Scott  Tremor (San Diego Natural History Museum)
Lázaro Viñola (Florida Museum of Natural History)
David Waldien (Red List Authority Coordinator)
Jessica L. Ware (American Museum of Natural History)
Paul Webala (Maasai Mara University)