current lab members
PI: Dr. Lena Hileman, lhileman@ku.edu
Lena received her Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. After completing her Ph.D.,she spent three years in Dr. Vivian Irish's lab at Yale University as a postdoctoral researcher before starting up her own lab in 2005 at the University of Kansas. 
Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Carolyn Wessinger, cwessinger@ku.edu Carrie received her Ph.D. from Duke University where she worked with Dr. Mark Rausher and identified extensive genetic parallelism underlying flower color evolution in Penstemon. In the Hileman lab, Carrie is continuing her work in Penstemon by investigating the genetic basis for parallel pollination syndrome shifts across the genus. Here's a link to Carrie's website.
Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Vibhuti Singh, vibhuti@ku.edu Vibhuti received her PhD from University of Delhi where she studied flower developmental alterations of sesame during the onset of a bacterial (phytoplasma) disease - phyllody. She also investigated preliminary aspects of sesame capsule dehiscence and phylogeny of Sesamum species occurring in India. In the Hileman's lab she is investigating the role of cis-regulatory elements in recruitment of CYCLOIDEA gene to bilateral floral symmetry in Lamiales.
previous lab membersPh.D. Student: Jack Colicchio: (2011-2016)
In the Hileman lab, and in collaboration with John Kelly, Jack determined how gene expression and DNA methylation is altered by variation in parental environment. He additionally demonstrated through field experiments that plastic responses to variation in parental environment can have important fitness consequences. Jack is now a postdoc at UC Berkeley with Dr. Ben Blackman. Here's a link to Jack's website. Postdoc: Dr. Jill Preston (2007-2012)
In the Hileman lab, Jill determined patterns of conservation and diversification in both floral and flowering time developmental networks. Jill is now an assistant professor at the University of Vermont (congratulations, Jill!!). Here’s the link to Jill at UVM. Technician: Rebecca Orozco (2011-2012)
In the Hileman lab, Rebecca worked on evolution in the flowering time pathway. After leaving the lab, Rebecca completed her Master's in Library Science in Minnesota, and is now back at KU as our science librarian! Master’s Student: Jacob Landis (2009-2011)
In the Hileman lab, Jacob investigated the developmental genetics of floral organ identity and petal cell shape in close relatives of snapdragon. He went on to receive his PhD working with Dr. Pam Soltis at The University of Florida, and is now a postdoc in the Koenig Lab at UC Riverside. Technician: Laryssa Barnett (2006-2010)
Laryssa joined the Hileman lab as an undergraduate researcher her Senior year at KU, and stayed on as a technician in the lab for three years. Laryssa contributed significantly to many projects in the lab, primarily determining the genetic basis for epigenetic inheritance of trichome density in Mimulus and developing VIGS for Plantaginaceae species, Laryssa received her PhD working with Dr. John Willis at Duke University. |
Ph.D. student: Aniket Sengupta, a211s813@ku.edu
Aniket received his Bachelor’s degree in Botany with honors from the Presidency College, Kolkata, and a Master’s in Botany from the University of Delhi, where he analyzed variation and evolutionary patterns in cellularization of nuclear endosperm. In the Hileman lab, Aniket is studying the CYCLOIDEA-dependent floral symmetry program in species with radially symmetrical flowers to better understand its parallel recruitment to specify bilateral flower symmetry. Here is a link to Aniket's website 
Masters student: Amanda Katzer, a681k477@ku.edu Amanda completed her Bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Kansas in Fall 2015. She worked as a technician in the Hileman Lab for a year and a half and is now a graduate student! Amanda is using transcriptomic and morphometric approaches to study nectary evolution in Penstemon.
Undergraduate students:
Karla Arias-Ramos is quantifying cell size in petal tissue from bee- and hummingbird-adapted Penstemon species. Natacha Namphengsone is testing whether Mimulus guttatus exhibits transgenerational plasticity in response to elevated atmospheric CO2. Technician: Matthew Kost (2005-2008)
Matthew joined the lab as an undergraduate, his Senior year at KU, and stayed on in the lab as a technician for two years. Matthews work in the lab was instrumental towards our goals of isolating symmetry genes from various non-model species, and in applying VIGS technology to various non-model species. Matthew received his PhD working with Dr. Kristin Mercer at Ohio State University. Post-bacheloreate student (PREP program at KU): Ciera Martinez (2008-2009)
Ciera joined the lab after finishing her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Northeastern Illinois University. She participated in the PREP program at KU and her main research focus was determining how the symmetry developmental network is functioning in Plantago. Ciera received her PhD working with Dr. Neelima Sinha at UC Davis, and is now a postdoc in the UC Berkeley Institute for Data Science. Undergraduate researchers: Gizem Tel (2006), Bret Thompson (2006), Fikri Birey (Honor's Thesis 2006-2008), Jared Suppasansathron (2008), Nathan Oborny (2008-2009), Nicole Nebitsi (2009), Michelle Mezger (2009), Kory Kirkigaard (2009-2010), Elijah Burton (2009-2011), Jessica Doidge (2010), Tim Muetz (2010), Ashley Stiffarm (2010), Bethany Wright (2010-2011), Alejandra Rodriquez (2011), Kima Scott (2010-2013), Taylor Blodgett (2013), David Stone (2013), AJ Langley (2014), Alayna Mead (REU Summer 2014), Sukhindervir Singh Sandhu (Honor's Thesis 2014-2015), Anatole Telegin (REU Summer 2015), Nizhoni Woodie (REU Summer 2015, and 2015-16). Nick Nolte (2016-2017). Jonathon Russell (2017), Kristen Manion, Hester Hall (REU Summer 2017). Mara Schlichting (2017).
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Lab Mascots
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