Norah Saarman, PhDAssistant Professor, Department of Biology and Ecology Center
Email: [email protected] Office: Life Sciences Building 333 Mail: 5305 Old Main Hill BNR117A Pronouns: She/Her/Hers I am interested in genetic diversity. I use population genomics and spatial ecology to investigate where species live and move, and the genetic and phenotypic traits that allow them to be successful in their environment. My current research is developing a machine learning method to integrate genetic and ecological information to predict population-level responses to climate change. |
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Emily CalhounPhD Student, Department of Biology and Ecology Center
I received my bachelors from Westminster College in Neuroscience and Spanish in 2020, and then worked as a COVID-19 Microbiologist at the Utah Public Health Lab before starting at the Saarman Lab in Fall 2021. I am generally interested in studying disease ecology, microbe-host interactions, and population genetics. I will be investigating the relationship between the insect vector's microbiome and parasites when modeling disease transmission within changing ecosystems. I am especially interested in solving these problems for diseases that pose public health risks. |
Katie GraybealMasters Student, Department of Biology and Ecology Center
I received my bachelor's from the University of Montana in Wildlife Biology with a certificate in Global leadership in 2021. I then worked for the Flathead Biology Station monitoring invasive species using environmental DNA until I joined the Saarman Lab for my master's degree in the Fall of 2023. I am interested in studying disease ecology, population genetics, and spatial ecology. I'm studying insect vectors and their relationship with arboviruses in the hopes of decreasing the spread and rate of infection of deadly diseases. |
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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Ryan GriffithsUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
Ryan is a computational biology researcher investigating the genetic connectivity, adaptive potential, and distribution of the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, the major vector of sleeping sickness and Animal African trypanosomiasis. |
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Eric JenkinsUndergraduate Researcher, Biochemistry major, USU
With other members of the Saarman Lab, Eric researches the dispersal, habitat use, and Wolbachia vector control in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, population genetics of the native pollinator the Alkali bee, and local projects investigating the ecology and evolution of Culex pipiens and Culex quenquefasciatus, two local species of mosquitoes that transmit west Nile virus in central and southern Utah. |
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Tyler SeelyUndergraduate Researcher, Biochemistry major, USU
With other members of the Saarman Lab, Tyler researches the local ecology and evolution of Culex pipiens and Culex quenquefasciatus, two local species of mosquitoes that transmit west Nile virus in central and southern Utah. He also helps out with population genetics lab work for Alkali bee conservation and management, as well as dispersal, habitat use, and Wolbachia vector control in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, one of the primary vectors of Dengue and Zika fevers. |
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Brendan PughUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
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Stephen CheckettsUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
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Alina MorenoUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
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ALUMNI and COLLABORATORS
Ethan K. MeredithUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
Starting medical school in fall 2024, congratulations! Ethan finished his undergraduate at USU studying human biology in 2023. He will go to medical school in the fall. I love what I study. Learning about biology has been so much fun. The complexity of life and its many systems constantly surprises and inspires me. With other members of the Saarman Lab, I have studied dispersal and habitat use of the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, the major vector of sleeping sickness and Animal African trypanosomiasis, in the Lake Victoria region of Uganda. I have also helped in efforts to study the effectiveness of Wolbachia infection as a method of vector control. |
Camilla MosesUndergraduate Researcher, Biology major, USU
Currently a Master's Student in Environmental Engineering, congratulations! Camilla finished her bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and two minors in Mathematics and Chemistry in 2022. With other members of the Saarman lab, Camilla investigated the population structure of the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes across the landscape of Uganda. |
Andrés Gómez-Palacio, PhDPostdoctorol mentee, USU
Associate Professor, Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia, Biology Department, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia I study genetics and evolution at the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC), South America. My research interests involve the population genetics and phylogeography of tropical vector-borne diseases such as Chagas disease and Dengue fever. I am currently visiting the Saarman Lab at USU working on a project investigating barriers and conduits to Ae. aegypti mosquitos in Colombian cities with high burden of Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Please contact me at [email protected] to chat about mosquitoes, Colombia, or population genetics! |
Anusha BishopUndergraduate mentee, Yale University
PhD Student, University of California Berkeley, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management I am currently a PhD student in the Wang Lab at UC Berkeley conducting research on the landscape genomics of fence lizards. I am interested in integrating genomic and environmental data to study how spatiotemporal variation in landscapes shapes connectivity and adaptation under climate change. My broader research interests align well with the Saarman lab, and include ecological genomics, landscape genetics/genomics, and spatial ecology. We are continuing our collaboration remotely, and enjoy bouncing ideas off each other in our quest to develop and evaluate creative new ways of predicting population response to climate change. |
Robert Opiro, PhDPhD Student Mentee, Yale University
Lecturer and Head of Ag. Gulu University, Department of Biology, Gulu, Uganda Dr. Opiro is interested in population genomics of insects. He is a Lecturer and serves as the Ag. Head of the Department of Biology at Gulu University, at a public university in northern Uganda.
Together we are developing a project investigating the genetic connectivity, adaptive potential, and distribution of the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, the major vector of sleeping sickness and Animal African trypanosomiasis. We are focusing on these vectors in northern Uganda, a region of sub-Saharan Africa that has had many challenges in the 21st century due to recent civil unrest (i.e. Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army). This is a vital time for northern Uganda to realize its potential in promoting human health and well-being, as well as conserving its stunning biodiversity and rich cultural heritage. |
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Join the Saarman LabPlease contact Dr. Norah Saarman if you are interested in joining the lab, undergraduate students welcome and encouraged!
The Saarman lab is recruiting undergraduate students! We are building a collaborative group of highly motivated students and researchers that are eager to contribute to global and local problems that can benefit from accurate prediction of population response to climate change. Research areas include ecological genomics and landscape genetics in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in southern Utah and Colombia, Culex mosquitoes across Utah and the United States, and tsetse flies in Uganda. Candidates are expected to have a strong interest in ecological and landscape genetics, and population genetics. Please visit Department of Biology Application Guidelines for more information on the application process. The Department of Biology offers excellent opportunities for education, training, funding, and collaboration. USU is located in the city of Logan in the Cache Valley of northern Utah, which offers a reasonable cost of living, abundant recreation opportunities across all four seasons, and incredible access to numerous National Parks across Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. Please visit the Biology department website biology.usu.edu/education/graduate-program/prospective_students for more information. Fill in the form to the left to learn more about opportunities in the Saarman Lab! |