Findley Finseth
When I learned that co-evolutionary arms races lead to genes and traits that were diverse and evolutionarily dynamic, rather than conserved and static, I was hooked. I want to understand the causes and consequences of the striking diversity of co-evolved phenotypes, and I love using bioinformatic and genomic approaches to explore this question. I also like to garden, hang out with my family, and explore the recreational and cultural offerings of Southern California.
ffinseth (at) kecksci (dot) claremont (dot) edu
Current student researchers
Anna Reitman
Anna is a senior at Scripps College. Her thesis focuses on understanding the genetic and environmental factors (mainly soil texture) that contribute to drought resistance in Mimulus. Anna has received several awards for her work including multiple Environmental Analysis fellowships, and her project was chosen by Scripps’ to be nominated for a Goldwater fellowship.
Shreya Dasari
Shreya is a senior at Scripps College. Her thesis focuses on identifying the genetic basis of natural petal cell shape variation in Mimulus. Shreya’s building expertise in both data science and biology, and her project will build her genomics and bioinformatics skills.
Alvin Villarosa
Alvin is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College. His research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of petal cell shape in Mimulus. Along with Margaret and Millie Mancini, Alvin was responsible for measuring cell shape in hundreds of recombinant inbed lines from parents with flatter and more conical petal cells. Alvin is now exploring expression of candidate cell shape genes using quantitative PCR.
Margaret Mattson
Margaret is a sophomore at Scripps College. Her research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of petal cell shape in Mimulus. Along with Alvin and Millie Mancini, Margaret was responsible for measuring cell shape in hundreds of recombinant inbed lines from parents with flatter and more conical petal cells. Margaret has now changed gears and is exploring expression of candidate cell shape genes using quantitative PCR. Margaret keeps the lab well-stocked in cookies and previously worked on the evolution and development of butterfly wings.
Kirsten Engber
Kirsten is a junior at Scripps College. Her research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of petal cell shape in Mimulus. Kirsten joined the lab in fall 2022 and will be exploring the expression of candidate cell shape genes using quantitative PCR. Kirsten is passionate about the integration of science and issues of gender discrimination, and she hopes to make medicine more accessible and inclusive for women of all identities and backgrounds.
Post-baccalaureates
Eden Mahdavi
Eden is a post-baccalaureate who graduated from Scripps College in May 2022. Eden’s research is on the evolution of reproductive proteins in Mimulus and her work integrates experimental, greenhouse, and computational approaches. Eden’s senior thesis won the Best Biology Thesis award from Scripps’ college, and she is continuing working on her project in preparation for publication . After graduating from Scripps, Eden joined Octant Bio and plans to pursue a PhD.