STAFF

LAB TECHNICIAN: ERIK BENGSTON (2015-2017)

Erik worked on our Euhaplorchis-Killifish parasitology project, and was in charge of fish rearing and infecting. He started off with us working on our bird parasitology project. He has a BS in Physiology from University of California, Santa Barbara. He is known by some as the “Big Beng”. Email Erik.

POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

DR. ADRIENNE MORA (2018-2020)

Adrienne examines how manipulative parasites affect the evolutionary ecology of their hosts. Some of her research has examined parasitic effects on host personality, courtship, and predator-prey interactions. She plans to expand her work in the Hechinger lab by investigating relationships between host personality, physiology, disease risk, and fitness. Email Adrienne. Go to her website.

DR. KATE SHEEHAN (2014-2017)

Kate focused on bird parasites. Her major effort in the lab involved running a project quantifying the diversity and abundance of estuarine bird parasites. She also spearheaded our project examining the relationships between parasites, plastics, and poisons in Alaskan seabirds. Email Kate. Go to her website.

DR. BENJAMIN VAN ALLEN (2016-2018)

Ben had a nifty SIO fellowship where he was free to wrap up previous work and develop new interests. Some of his research has examined how landscape variability and dispersal affect community structure, and how cannibalism influences infectious disease dynamics. He was developing ideas concerning the factors that lead to variation in the diversity and abundance of estuarine parasite species at different sites and times. Email Ben. Go to Ben’s website.

DR. LAUREN NADLER (2016-2018)

Lauren worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish-Bird project. She quantified how any pathological effects of infection on birds are countered by the parasite making the birds’ prey easier to catch. She has a BA in Marine Science from Boston University, an MRes in Marine & Freshwater Ecology and Environmental Management from the University of Glasgow, and a PhD in Marine Biology from James Cook University. She moved on to take professor positions, first in Florida and now in .

GRADUATE STUDENTS

DANIEL METZ, PHD STUDENT (2015-2022)

Dan dissertation dealt with trematode sociality and he ran our DNA sequencing operation. He first started working with Ryan as a visiting ESA undergraduate research fellow studying a ciliate parasite of crabs, a project that we finished up during his PhD time. He got his BS in Biology from Radford University in Virginia. He moved on to do a postdoc with Clay Cressler at University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

ANAI NOVOA, M.S., PHD STUDENT (2016-2023)

Anai is developing a dissertation project to examine how parasitism interacts with species range boundary shifts. She is also working on the diversity and abundance of louse parasites of estuarine birds. She got a BA in Biology from University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MS in Marine Science from University of San Diego. Email Anai.

ALEX NELSON, M.S. STUDENT (2019-2021)

Alex is working on describing trematodes from Cerithideopsis californica. She graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Marine Biology and Biochemistry.

 

TITUS HARTMANN, B.S-M.S. STUDENT

Titus works on a project examining the hemolymph of Cerithideopsis californica. He has a B.S. from UCSD in biochemistry with a marine science minor.

CAITLIN FONG, PHD (2013-2017)

Cat worked on an isopod parasite that blocks female reproductive function of barnacles. She has a parallel life doing community ecology of algae. Cat was one of Ryan’s students who stayed at UCSB. She will be starting a NSF post doctoral fellowship that she’ll run out of CSUN with Bob Carpenter. Cat got her BS in Biology from University of California, Santa Barbara. Email Cat.

ANA GARCIA-VEDRENNE, PHD (2011-2018)

Ana worked on trematode sociality. She was one of Ryan’s students who stayed at UC Santa Barbara. While working on her PhD, she picked up a masters in Statistics. Ana got her BS in Chemical Pharmaceutical-Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, in Mexico City, and did her undergraduate thesis with Ryan and Armand Kuris at UCSB. Email Ana.

REBECCA HERNANDEZ, M.S. (2017-2019)

Becky was a Masters student in the Hechinger Lab. She first became involved with the Hechinger lab as a volunteer on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She obtained her BS in Biology from the University of Texas-Pan American. Email Becky.

 

CASSANDRA BERNAS, B.S.-M.S. STUDENT (2017-2020)

Cassie is a working on a project that helps identify each parasite life stage in different hosts and connects life stages belonging to a single species in order to better understand parasite diversity in an estuarine food web. She is a biochemistry and cell biology major at UCSD.

JENNIFER DUSTO, B.S-M.S. STUDENT (2017-2020)

Jennifer working on describing a previously unreported mermithid nematode. She has a B.S. from UCSD in Marine Biology.

 
 

LAB INTERNS / ASSISTANTS / UNDERGRADUATES

 

JOY KUMAGAI (2016-2017)

Joy worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the distribution, abundance, and diversity of parasites that live in the digestive tract. She graduated from UCSD with a Marine Biology degree.

PAIGE ALBERS (2016-2017)

Paige worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the diversity, distribution, and abundance of feather lice and mites. She graduated from UCSD, majoring in General Biology.

 

RACHEL SIELSKI (2015-2017)

Rachel worked on our bird parasitology project, doing whole bird processing and focusing on the distribution, abundance, diversity, and impacts of parasites that live in the body organs other than a bird’s digestive tract (e.g., lungs and kidneys). She graduated from UCSD, majoring in Molecular Biology.

 

ALEXANDER DAI (2016-2017)

Alexander worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the diversity, distribution, and abundance of feather lice and mites. He is currently an undergraduate at UCSD, doing a double major in Marine biology and Physiology & Neuroscience.

 

AKIKO GARCIA (2016)

Akiko worked on the Euhaplorchis-Fundulus parasitology project, analyzing avoidance behavior of killifish. She was a summer UC CAMP intern, and has now graduated UCSD with a degree in Biology: Ecology, Behavior & Evolution.

 

SAM JUG (2016)

Sam worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the abundance, diversity, and impacts of blood parasites. He graduated from UCSD, majoring in Biology.

 

MEGHAN HOLT (2016)

Meghan worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the distribution, abundance, and diversity of parasites that live in the digestive tract. She graduated from UCSD, majoring in Physiology and Neuroscience. She likes to be called “Sasswagon”.

 

SHENGNAN SUN (2016)

Shengnan worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the abundance, diversity, and impacts of blood parasites. She is an undergraduate at UCSD, majoring in Physiology and Neuroscience, with a minor in Psychology.

 

CODY WEBB (2016)

Cody worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the distribution, abundance, and diversity of parasites that live in the digestive tract. He is an undergraduate at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology.

 

NATHAN YAWATA (2015-2016)

Nathan worked on our bird parasitology project and focused on the diversity, distribution, and abundance of parasites living in the digestive tract. He graduated from UCSD with a major in General Biology.

 

PEIRUN “BARBARA” CHEN (2016)

Barbara helped out with a wide range of laboratory duties and data entry. She is currently an undergraduate at UCSD, majoring in Biology.

 

SRIYA PANCHAGNULA (2016-2017)

Sriya worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the diversity, distribution, and abundance of feather lice and mites. She is an undergraduate at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology.

 

VICTORIA LEUNG (2016-2017)

Victoria worked on our bird parasitology project, focusing on the diversity, distribution, and abundance of feather lice and mice. She is currently an undergraduate at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology.

 

GAGANDEEP GILL (2016-2017)

Gagan worked on our bird parasitology project. He is an undergraduate student at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Business.

 

WINSTON WONG (2016-2017)

Winston worked on our bird parasitology project. He was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in International Studies and Political Science.

 

KEVIN WEN (2016-2017)

Kevin worked on the Bird Parasitology Project. He is an undergraduate at UCSD majoring in Molecular Biology.

 

KAIA QUIGG (2017)

Kaia worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish parasitology project, analyzing behavior of infected fish. She is an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution.

 

RAYMOND LEE (2017)

Raymond worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project, spending the whole summer with us. He is an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon, majoring in Marine Biology.

 

DEAUNDRE PURITTY (2017)

DeAundre Puritty worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project, spending the whole summer with us. He is an undergraduate student at Pittsburg State University majoring in biology.

 

KARINA COBIAN (2016-2018)

Karina worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project, focusing on analyzing behavioral changes in infected killifish. She was an undergraduate at UCSD, working on a BS in Marine Biology.

 

REBECA ELLIS (2017-2018)

Rebeca worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She was an undergrad at UCSD majoring in Ecology.

 

RAIHANA YUSUFI (2017-2018)

Raihana worksed on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She was an Environmental Chemistry major at UCSD.

 

SEAN LO (2017-2018)

Sean worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. He was a UCSD student majoring in Human Biology.

 

ABHINAV BIRDA (2017-2019)

Abhinav worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish, analyzing behavior changes in infected fish. He was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring Economics and minoring in General Biology.

 

JASMINE TERHALL (2017-2019)

Jasmine worked on the Euhaplorchis-Fundulus parasite project, analyzing footage of the California Killifish with a brain-encysting trematode. Her major was Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies.

 

ANNA CHEN (2018)

Anna worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish field project, analyzing behavior changes in infected fish. She was a UCSD student double majoring in Biochemistry and Cognitive Psychology.

 

DANIELLA FAIRBANK (2018)

Daniella did video analysis for the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project, focusing on Parasite-Increased Trophic Transmission. She was a transfer student at UCSD majoring in Biology with a minor in global health.

 

JAMES RIDDELL (2018-2019)

James worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish and Donax project. He was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in Marine Biology and minoring in Data Science.

 

JESSICA CAMERON (2018-2019)

Jessica worked on video analysis for the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in General Biology.

 

KHANG TONG (2018-2019)

Khang worked on the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. He was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in Environmental Systems: Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution.

 

LINH HO (2018)

Linh worked on the video analysis for the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She was a pre-med student at UCSD majoring in Psychology.

 

MATTHEW CAMPOS (2018-2019)

Matthew worked on the video analysis for the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. He was a student at UCSD majoring in Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution.

 

REYNA M. CARRILLO (2018-2019)

Reyna worked on the Video Analysis for the Euhaplorchis-Killifish project. She was a student at UCSD majoring in Marine Biology.

 

YANG HONG (2018-2019)

Yang worked on a project examining how parasitism interacts with species range boundary shifts. He was an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in marine biology.