Principal Investigator
Kim Hoke
Fearless Leader
If you get the chance to actually meet Kim in between her long field trips, she might tell you about her research. Kim’s master plan is to understand why animals behave the way they do, and her integrative approach relies on expert collaborators from around the world. Her mentoring strategy includes keeping the lab productive via intermittent reinforcement with food rewards.
Bonus: Full of enthusiastic recommendations for books on mixed models and thin plate splines
Favorite lab items: Grad students
Culinary skill level: (5 stars) Iron chef
Fearless Leader
If you get the chance to actually meet Kim in between her long field trips, she might tell you about her research. Kim’s master plan is to understand why animals behave the way they do, and her integrative approach relies on expert collaborators from around the world. Her mentoring strategy includes keeping the lab productive via intermittent reinforcement with food rewards.
Bonus: Full of enthusiastic recommendations for books on mixed models and thin plate splines
Favorite lab items: Grad students
Culinary skill level: (5 stars) Iron chef
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Postdocs and Graduate Students
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Mariana Rodriguez Santiago
Postdoctoral Fellow Allow us to introduce Mariana - a neurobiologist with a passion for understanding how the brain processes sensory information. She’s worked on many species - from rats to fish to frogs to ctenophores - in the quest to understand the mechanisms that drive animal behavior. And when she's not in the lab, you can find Mariana buying crickets, lounging on a hammock reading a book, or planning her next travel adventure. Favorite lab item: Kimwipes Culinary skill level: (3 stars) Adds sofrito to everything Website: https://neuromari.weebly.com/ |
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Amir Alayoubi
PhD Candidate Introducing our lab's resident jack-of-all-trades, Amir Alayoubi! With a Bachelor's in Psychological Science and now a Biological Science PhD candidate, Amir is a true Renaissance man. He's spent years studying the brains of mice, guppies, and even tree frogs (because why not?). But his talents don't stop there - when he's not in the lab, you can find Amir jamming out on his guitar or drums with his band, building impressive structures, or trying to conquer the slopes on a snowboard (emphasis on trying). And if you're lucky enough to be invited to one of his cookouts, you'll quickly learn that he's just as skilled on the grill as he is in the lab. We're not sure how he manages to excel at so many things, but we're just glad he's part of our team! Favorite lab item: Microscope, kimwipes Culinary skill level: (4 stars) Grillmaster |
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Julianna Mendez
PhD Student Meet Julianna, a trained behavioral ecologists with interests in animal communication. Through fieldwork, she investigates the evolutionary forces that shape signals used in communication. She is particularly interested by how selective pressures sculpt signal structures—and, in turn, how these signals influence the communication strategies animals adopt. This makes working with frogs ideal as many species call in dense aggregations! When she’s not knee-deep in froggy business, you can catch Julianna grooving to music from the 70’s, marveling at wildlife photography, or getting lost in the lush landscapes of Latin America. With Julianna, it’s always a ribbiting adventure! Favorite lab item: Her random collection of souvenirs she finds during fieldwork Culinary skill level: A level 5 wildcard |
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Kira Vasquez-Kapit
PhD Student Meet Kira, a computational biologist hailing from the world of software engineering. Her interests lie in untangling the complexities of DNA to answer questions about speciation and evolution. When she’s not dissecting data, you’ll find her practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, attempting new hobbies, or wrangling her many pets. Favorite lab item: Good internet connection! Culinary skill level: (2.5 stars) the effort is there. |
Undergraduates
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Maddie Gaasch
Summer REU 2023 and continued undergraduate researcher Meet Maddie, the junior neuroscience wiz with a knack for unraveling the mysteries of the brain while gracefully maneuvering through life's slopes. When she's not dissecting the intricacies of neural pathways, you can find her shredding on the ski slopes or whipping up gourmet delights in the kitchen. In the lab, Maddie's research on aromatase in Hyla Chrysoscelis has her nose deep in ISH and HCR protocols, chasing after frog secrets with a fervor only matched by her enthusiasm for hiking up mountains. And when she's not sciencing away, you'll catch her out on the town, treating herself to dinner with friends or scavenging for treasures in thrift stores, all while plotting her next literary conquest. Maddie: where brains, brawn, and banter collide! Favorite lab item: Pink labeling tape Culinary skill level: (4 stars) foodie meets college budget |
Lab Alumni
Eva Fischer
Was: PhD Student
Now: Faculty Member, UC Davis
Having given up her ambition to become a lounge singer, Evita is pursuing her alternate plan to integrate every research technique in biology. The mysteries that plague Eva include the neural mechanisms that underlie behavioral evolution and how environmental influences fit in to it all.
Bonus: OCD is productive. See mopped floor and baked goods.
Favorite lab items: cryostat, sequenza, parafilm, colored tape
Culinary skill level: (4 stars) sous chef
Website: www.evakfisch.weebly.com
Was: PhD Student
Now: Faculty Member, UC Davis
Having given up her ambition to become a lounge singer, Evita is pursuing her alternate plan to integrate every research technique in biology. The mysteries that plague Eva include the neural mechanisms that underlie behavioral evolution and how environmental influences fit in to it all.
Bonus: OCD is productive. See mopped floor and baked goods.
Favorite lab items: cryostat, sequenza, parafilm, colored tape
Culinary skill level: (4 stars) sous chef
Website: www.evakfisch.weebly.com
Sarah Westrick
Was: Professional Research Associate
Now: PI at Wake Forest
Pickles’ first photographer, Sarah, has worked in many capacities in the lab from feeding and cleaning, to behavioral trials and befriending McGruber, the resident oscar. Sarah is a CSU zoology/biology graduate and hopes to continue feeding her passion for behavioral research through graduate school. When not in the lab, Sarah likes to perfect her pie recipes, train her friend’s cat, and hike any trail Colorado has to offer.
Website: sewestrick.strikingly.com/
Was: Professional Research Associate
Now: PI at Wake Forest
Pickles’ first photographer, Sarah, has worked in many capacities in the lab from feeding and cleaning, to behavioral trials and befriending McGruber, the resident oscar. Sarah is a CSU zoology/biology graduate and hopes to continue feeding her passion for behavioral research through graduate school. When not in the lab, Sarah likes to perfect her pie recipes, train her friend’s cat, and hike any trail Colorado has to offer.
Website: sewestrick.strikingly.com/
Molly Womack
Was: PhD Student
Now: Faculty Member, Cornell Universtiy
Lil M left beaches and cloacas for mountains and ears. She enjoys studying the mechanisms responsible for behaviors we see in nature. Molly is currently investigating the forces driving ear loss in frogs. Lil M brings down the average height in the lab, but brings up our mean athletic ability.
Bonus: living proof that blood circulation is optional.
Favorite lab items: histoclear, microtome
Culinary skill level: (2 stars) ez bake oven
Website: http://www.strikingly.com/mcw
Was: PhD Student
Now: Faculty Member, Cornell Universtiy
Lil M left beaches and cloacas for mountains and ears. She enjoys studying the mechanisms responsible for behaviors we see in nature. Molly is currently investigating the forces driving ear loss in frogs. Lil M brings down the average height in the lab, but brings up our mean athletic ability.
Bonus: living proof that blood circulation is optional.
Favorite lab items: histoclear, microtome
Culinary skill level: (2 stars) ez bake oven
Website: http://www.strikingly.com/mcw
Jacob Edwards
Was: MS Student
Now: PhD student , Columbia University
After whetting his scientific appetite immersed in the swampy mire of ancient plant reproduction, Jacob (nickname in development) joined the lab in hopes of understanding where brains come from. Long-term goals include producing a hip-hop album, seeing the earth from outer space, and completely integrating into a cyborg body.
Bonus: Will serenade you on your birthday
Favorite lab items: Kimwipes, microscope
Culinary skill level: (3 stars) Cooks eggs in >2 ways
Was: MS Student
Now: PhD student , Columbia University
After whetting his scientific appetite immersed in the swampy mire of ancient plant reproduction, Jacob (nickname in development) joined the lab in hopes of understanding where brains come from. Long-term goals include producing a hip-hop album, seeing the earth from outer space, and completely integrating into a cyborg body.
Bonus: Will serenade you on your birthday
Favorite lab items: Kimwipes, microscope
Culinary skill level: (3 stars) Cooks eggs in >2 ways
Jenny Stynoski
Was: AAUW Postdoctoral fellow
Now: Faculty Member, Universidad de Costa Rica
Digressing from vibrating poison frog tadpoles and a life of chasing students around the rainforests of Costa Rica, Jenny now wrinkles her forehead at the behavior and evolutionary development of toads and their occasionally absent ears in Peru and Ecuador. Jenny works best with precipitation (frozen or not), and speaks great Spanglish.
Bonus: Useless with a ball but can run in a straight line for a seriously long time
Favorite lab items: HPC, turkey baster, RNAlater, passport
Culinary skill level: (4 stars) Specializing in latin-asian fusion Website: stynoski.wordpress.com
Was: AAUW Postdoctoral fellow
Now: Faculty Member, Universidad de Costa Rica
Digressing from vibrating poison frog tadpoles and a life of chasing students around the rainforests of Costa Rica, Jenny now wrinkles her forehead at the behavior and evolutionary development of toads and their occasionally absent ears in Peru and Ecuador. Jenny works best with precipitation (frozen or not), and speaks great Spanglish.
Bonus: Useless with a ball but can run in a straight line for a seriously long time
Favorite lab items: HPC, turkey baster, RNAlater, passport
Culinary skill level: (4 stars) Specializing in latin-asian fusion Website: stynoski.wordpress.com
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Leorah McGinnis
Was: Lab Manager & Resident Science Angel Now: Masters Student, Penn State University Leorah first started pestering the Hoke lab while getting her B.S. in Zoology at Colorado State University. After undergrad she ventured off to Americorps and The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center before returning to CSU as a Research Associate in the Hoke Lab. When not running around the lab "living the dream," Leorah can most often be found watching “Game of Thrones” with her cat. Bonus: Can install a toilet in under 15 minutes. Favorite lab item: Screwdriver & Twitter Culinary skill level: (4 stars) Makes overnight oats |
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Laura Stein
Was: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow Now: Faculty Member at University of Oklahoma After years uncovering the secrets of stickleback dads and the various ways in which they affect their kids in the vast corn deserts of Illinois, Laura now peers into the brains of guppies to investigate just how early experience translates into behavioral phenotypes. When not bothering fish or figuring out bioinformatics and molecular protocols, you can probably find Laura out in the mountains (although she is still likely to be bothering fish or herps). Bonus: Full of useless trivia about animals and television; can probably beat you at darts; likes to pick up and put down heavy things Favorite lab items: Guppies, vortexer, parafilm Culinary skill level: (3 stars) Guacamole for days Website: http://laurastein.weebly.com |
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Kim Dolphin
Was: PhD Candidate Now: Faculty member, Hutchinson Community College Kim D. graduated from watching Drosophila sexual selection behaviors in an ultimate evolutionary context to stealing guppy brains to understand a more proximate reasoning behind decision-making strategies in reproductive contexts. Kim D. figured out what to do when that frozen water stuff falls from the sky and now resides in the plains, and is learning the intricacies of chicken ownership and teaching as a faculty member at Hutchinson Community College. Bonus: Likes to go up rock faces the hard(ish) way, because stairs are for wimps. Favorite lab item: Behavioral closet and the cryostat Culinary skill level: (3 stars) * has improved greatly to a 3 star cook (learning to master spices) and a 5 star baker (sometimes)! Website: https://kimberlydolphin.weebly.com |
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Nathan Phipps
Was: MS Student Nathan started volunteering in the Hoke Lab in 2018 after graduating from Lewis & Clark College with a B.A. in Biology. His interests include fish and cephalopod behavior and physiology, as well as developing his shower singing career. Outside the lab, Nathan can often be found wandering in the mountains or planning his next trip to the ocean. Bonus: Can cook minute rice in only 59 seconds Favorite lab item: Micropipetter Culinary skill level: (3 stars) Ultimate grilled cheese master |
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Rachel Fleming
Was: MS Student Now: PhD Student, Brown Rachel joined the lab with a background in bio-inspired engineering, from which she discovered her passion for the evolution and morphology of animals. Her mind is now mostly occupied with wondering how morphological structures evolve and function. She enjoys squinting curiously at CT scans, creating 3D models, and learning new skills in quantitative morphology. When not in the lab, Rachel might be plotting her next art project or observing the various animals (cat, fish, hedgehog, and frog) that live in her home. Bonus: is a top Spotify listener of the indie-folk band Lord Huron Favorite lab item: three-button computer mouse, new markers Culinary skill level: (3 stars) good at following recipes, cooking attempts are becoming more common Website: https://flemingrachel.wixsite.com/morpho |
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Miles Whedbee
Was: PhD Candidate Now: Post-doc, University of Kansas Meet Miles Whedbee, the lab's resident rocket man! With a Ph.D. in sight and a background in microbial biology, Miles is a force to be reckoned with. He's tackled everything from viruses to cell and molecular biology, and even studied Alzheimer's disease in sea squirt invert models. But now, Miles is all about the guppies. Specifically, he's obsessed with the plasticity and evolution of these little fish, and he's leaving no stone unturned in his quest to understand their small RNA characterization, microRNAs, piRNAs, and AtoI RNA editing. When he's not busy with his groundbreaking research, Miles likes to take a break and let off some steam with his amateur rockets. And whether he's road biking, mountain biking, snowboarding, or strumming a little guitar, you can always count on him to be living his best Colorado life if he's not too preoccupied with contemplating the fundamental nature of consciousness and if (or rather when) human AI will rise to global domination. Bonus: Has memorized way too many lines from mid-90s Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey movies Favorite lab item: Laptop with internet and server access Culinary skill level: (2 stars) Used to be 3 stars |
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Zach Laubach
Was: Postdoctoral Fellow Now: Research Associate at CU Boulder Meet Zach Laubach, PhD extraordinaire! When he's not busy decoding the mysteries of how early life environments shape phenotypes, he can usually be found traipsing through fields of wildflowers or casting a line into a babbling brook (hopefully not at the same time). He's done groundbreaking research on birds, spotted hyenas, and even humans, because apparently, it's not enough to just understand ourselves - we need to know how animals work, too! But let's be real, the real question on everyone's mind is whether he's ever tried fly fishing with a hyena. We're waiting for the answer, Zach! Favorite lab Item: Coffee mug Culinary skill level: (1 star) can make pasta with sauce in a jar Website: |
Rachel Jacks
Daisey Solt
Cameron Badger
Eliza Fuhs (REU)
Dylan Curry (REU)
Alex Trillo
Avery Bodlack
Chelsey Gilley-Dunn
Claire Crookston (REU)
Conley Flynn
Dain Manella (REU)
Duncan Ziegler
Emily Sikora
Emma Lloyd
Haley Peterson
Hannah Alt
Hannah Buchek
Hilary Burr
Jaime Pack
Jesse Espinoza
Jordan Slick
Justine Stalnaker (REU)
Kat Archer
Koedi Lawley
Kyle Pfeiffer
Lauren Hartsough
Madison Propp (REU)
Maggie Sinner (REU)
Maimona Fadlelmula
Mikaila Medinger
Natalie Pitts
Nichole Benton
Nick Jones
Quinn Iffert (REU)
Rachel Mansfield
Richard Evans (REU)
Sam Bunnell
Sarah Coler (REU)
Scott Abela
Sean Streich
Selena Aguiniga (REU)
Shelley Bayard de Volo
Stephanie McMahon
Tanya Bojesen Lauridsen
Ty Fiero
Daisey Solt
Cameron Badger
Eliza Fuhs (REU)
Dylan Curry (REU)
Alex Trillo
Avery Bodlack
Chelsey Gilley-Dunn
Claire Crookston (REU)
Conley Flynn
Dain Manella (REU)
Duncan Ziegler
Emily Sikora
Emma Lloyd
Haley Peterson
Hannah Alt
Hannah Buchek
Hilary Burr
Jaime Pack
Jesse Espinoza
Jordan Slick
Justine Stalnaker (REU)
Kat Archer
Koedi Lawley
Kyle Pfeiffer
Lauren Hartsough
Madison Propp (REU)
Maggie Sinner (REU)
Maimona Fadlelmula
Mikaila Medinger
Natalie Pitts
Nichole Benton
Nick Jones
Quinn Iffert (REU)
Rachel Mansfield
Richard Evans (REU)
Sam Bunnell
Sarah Coler (REU)
Scott Abela
Sean Streich
Selena Aguiniga (REU)
Shelley Bayard de Volo
Stephanie McMahon
Tanya Bojesen Lauridsen
Ty Fiero
Come meet us on Twitter with #meetthehokelab! Our Twitter handle is @HokeCSU
