Lance Lab

Stacey Lance

I am an Assistant Research Scientist at SREL and run the Molecular Ecology program. Before coming to SREL I was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Colby College in Waterville, ME (where the photo is from). While there I taught Molecular Ecology, Vertebrate Zoology, Ecology, Evolution, Evolution of Disease, and Molecular Biology. Previously I worked as a postdoctoral fellow and then a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Insititution's National Zoological Park in what is now the Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics. I earned my Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Maryland and my B.S. in Biology at the University of Connecticut (and am still an avid UConn Husky fan). Below are the outstanding group of folks I get to work with every day and I am also recruiting two new graduate students to start spring of 2013.

Wes Flynn

Wes is a PhD student at UGA in the Odum School of Ecology studying evolutionary toxicology and adaptation to stressors. He earned his B.S. at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA, before coming to SREL in spring of 2010 as a research technician. Apparently even after two years of working for David Scott and me he wanted to stick around (and we’re glad he did). He has a broad range of interests, but most of his work is focused on how anthropogenic and natural stressors, directly and interactively affect/shape amphibians at the individual and population level. These stressors currently include heavy metals, disease, and wetland hydroperiod. He uses a variety of approaches to better understand these effects using a combination of microcosm, mesocosm, field, and genetic studies.

Jason O’Bryhim

Jason is currently at PhD student at George Mason University in the Environmental Science and Policy department. His research focuses on using both genetic and sociological techniques to help conserve sharks in Costa Rica. He’ll be using a DNA forensics approach to look at the fisheries with an emphasis on the endangered scalloped hammerhead. He is also currently an instructor at Augusta State University. Jason’s wife is currently at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, GA, so Jason has moved south and is doing all of his genetics work in the Lance lab. He gets to go to Costa Rica pretty often and hopefully part of the deal for him working in the lab is I get to go to Cocos Island and help with some hammerhead work.

Cris Hagen

Cris began working as a technician in the SREL molecular lab in May of 2002 (long before I came here). Since that time his primary duties have revolved around microsatellite primer development. Cris is also an international chelonian and crocodilian conservation biologist and spends a great deal of time travelling the world as a consultant for in-situ and ex-situ conservation programs aimed at stopping the extinction of the world's most critically endangered turtles and tortoises. He also teaches environmental education for SREL's outreach and education program.

Cara Love

Cara is a research technician in the lab. She came to SREL in the fall of 2011 and is working on a variety of projects including avian malaria in wading birds, effects of contaminants on amphibian disease susceptibility, salamander mating behavior, and genetic marker development. She had a ton of field experience before coming here (at SUNY ESF, in Kansas and in Russia) and as is clear from the photo she likes getting back out into the field but Stacey has now brainwashed her enough to recognize that molecular work rocks too. Her primary research interests revolve around anthropogenic influences on wildlife behavior and evolution and she plans on going to graduate school.

Diana Soteropoulos

Diana is a research technician working on the amphibian ecotoxicology project with David Scott and me. She came to SREL in fall of 2011 and has a MS from William & Mary. Currently she is helping with the copper studies and adding some behavioral and physiological endpoints. She is broadly interested in behavioral ecology with an emphasis on the effects of stressors on behavior.

Rochelle Beasley

Rochelle is a research technician in the lab. She came to SREL in June, 2012 with her husband Jim Beasley (a new Assistant Research Scientist at SREL). Rochelle is helping run the genetic marker development program and with some salamander mating behavior studies. She has a B.S. from SUNY ESF and M.S. from Ohio University. She worked at the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center at Purdue University before coming here. I hired her right away because she’s from New England and is a Patriots fan (she’s pretty darn good in the lab too).

Honorary Members

David Scott

David is a Research Professional III. He is a PI at SREL and has his own lab and webpage but since a vast majority of my research is in collaboration with David we like to consider him an honorary member of the Molecular Ecology Lab. After 30 years of field-work we’ve introduced him to the dark side and now he can’t stop saying “transcriptomics.”

Lab King and Queen

Calhoun and Rickety rule the world (please don’t tell them they’re wrong; it’s easier this way). They’ve been with me for 13 years and have a clear handle on relaxation. They’re none too thrilled with the new lab mascot but manage to keep all of us in line.

Lab Mascot

Zeke came to SREL in June, 2012, as a 3 month old (quite the prodigy). He’s captured the hearts of all of us and likes when lab meetings and get togethers are held at my place where he can be the center of attention. He’s happy to help any lab members get some exercise by playing or hiking with him and hopes one day to be an amphibian tracker.

The Toads

They keep our life interesting.