
CRUSTOMICS: Crustacean Genomics and Systematics Lab





People
Meet our team and learn about current projects and interests!

Dr. Heather Bracken Grissom
Florida International University-Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-353
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
305 919-4190 (Phone)
Contact:hbracken@fiu.edu
Evolution, decapod phylogenetics, biodiversity, conservation, biogeography, ecology, taxonomy and systematics

Dr. Lauren Ballou
Postdoctoral Associate
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: lballou@fiu.edu

Dr. Pedro Peres
Postdoctoral Associate
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: pdasilva@fiu.edu
Phylogenetics, Biogeography, Evolution, Anchialine Cave Crustaceans
Evolutionary biology, Molecular Ecology, Phylogeography, Population genetics/genomics, Marine Ecology

Stormie Collins
PhD Student
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: scoll064@fiu.edu

Natalie Whitaker
PhD Student
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: nwhit047@fiu.edu
Phylogenetics, Taxonomy, Systematics, Bioluminescence, Conservation, Adaptive Camouflage
Conservation, Evolution, Population Genetics, Biodiversity, Environmental Policy

Robert Tomasetti
PhD Candidate
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-250N
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: roetti@fiu.edu
Connectivity, biodiversity, phylogenetics, biogeography

Angel Rodriguez
Lab Manager
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Contact: ahrodrig@fiu.edu
Marine Chemistry, Ocean Acidification, Deep-Sea Parasitism, Genetics

Jackie Brett
Research Assistant
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Computational Biology, Conservation, Invertebrate Zoology, Kelp Forest and Tidal Pool Ecology

Nathalie Perea Caicedo
Research Intern
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Hydrothermal Vents, Deep Sea, Bio-luminescence, Conservation and Regeneration

Joseph Bednarik
Research Intern
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Behavioral Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Marine Microbiology, and Shark Biology

Amalia Chavez
Research Intern
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Bioluminescence, Morphology, Conservation, Ecology and Taxonomy

Angela Ceballos
Research Intern
Florida International University-
Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 NE 151 Street, MSB-330
North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
Bioluminescence, Behavioral Ecology, Conservation, Phylogenetics, and Evolution
Previous Lab Members

Dr. Javier Luque
Former Post-Doctoral Fellow
Currently serving as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Dr. Zach Nickell
Former PhD Student

Dr. Danielle DeLeo
Assistant Visiting Professor
Haverford College
370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041
(610) 896-1000

Dr. Lorian Schweikert
Former Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow
Now Assistant Professor at
University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Robert Ditter
Former PhD Student
Now pursuing a Postdoctoral
position at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Laura Timm
Former PhD Student
Now pursuing a Postdoctoral position at the University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Jorge Luis Pérez-Moreno
Now pursuing a Postdoctoral position at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Charles Golighty, MS
Former Master's Student

Dr. Hernán Vázquez-Miranda
Postdoctoral Associate

Harrison Mancke
Former Lab Manager
Now pursuing PhD at University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Dr. Carlos Varela
Former PhD Student

Jessica Quinlan
Former PhD Candidate

Lys Isma
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Joe Brennan
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Vanessa Moreno
Former Research Assistant

Nicole Perez
Former Research Assistant

Chris Rizzie
Former Research Assistant

Jade Uhalt
Former Research Assistant

Anchita Sanan
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Stacie Schulman
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Katrina Abel
Former Research Assistant

Blake Wilkins
Former Research Technician

Joan Glenny
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alexis Snyder
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sheilla Robles
Former Volunteer - Biscayne Bay Monitoring

Lauren Ramos
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Juliet Wong
Former Lab Manager/ Research Technician

Jonathan Harms
Former Research Assistant

Alyssa Morgan
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Julian Martínez
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Adriana Suarez
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ahmed Alnahhas
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Barbara Moahamed
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Shaina Lear
Former Research Technician

Nicole Odzer
Former High School Research Assistant

Carmen Ekert
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

David-Jason Guillou
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant