People
Lucas C. Majure, Curator of the Herbarium (FLAS), Principal Investigator
Ph.D. (Botany), University of Florida, 2012
M.Sc. (Biology), Mississippi State University, 2007
B.S. (Biology), Mississippi State University, 2003
Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lucas_Majure
Lab Members
Post Doctoral Associates
Serena I. Achá Macias, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Associate
Ph.D. (Biology), University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2019
M.Sc. (Biology), Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia, 2013
Serena worked on the population genetics and species delimitation of Passiflora for her Ph.D. studies. She is working on
phylogenomics of Cactaceae and capture-seq locus design for her post doctoral work in the Majure Lab.
Ph.D. (Biology), University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2019
M.Sc. (Biology), Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia, 2013
Serena worked on the population genetics and species delimitation of Passiflora for her Ph.D. studies. She is working on
phylogenomics of Cactaceae and capture-seq locus design for her post doctoral work in the Majure Lab.
Current Graduate Students
Ayress Grinage, M.Sc. Student (Fall 2019)
Ayress is working on the systematics of the genus Sabal in the southern
United States with a specific focus on the Sabal minor complex. She has also been working on
our campus flora project to enumerate the biodiversity found in our campus natural areas.
Ayress is a Bioscience Scholar in the Dept. of Biology at UF.
Ayress is working on the systematics of the genus Sabal in the southern
United States with a specific focus on the Sabal minor complex. She has also been working on
our campus flora project to enumerate the biodiversity found in our campus natural areas.
Ayress is a Bioscience Scholar in the Dept. of Biology at UF.
Yuley Encarnación Piñeyro, Ph.D. Student (Fall 2019)
Yuley worked on the population demographics of a Hispaniolan endemic species
of Melocactus, M. praerupticola (Cactaceae) for her bachelor's degree at
the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. Yuley started at UF in the Fall 2019
and is working out biogeographic patterns of Cactaceae in the Greater Antilles, as well as a treatment
for the Cactaceae of her home island of Hispaniola.
Yuley worked on the population demographics of a Hispaniolan endemic species
of Melocactus, M. praerupticola (Cactaceae) for her bachelor's degree at
the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. Yuley started at UF in the Fall 2019
and is working out biogeographic patterns of Cactaceae in the Greater Antilles, as well as a treatment
for the Cactaceae of her home island of Hispaniola.
Bethany Zumwalde, Ph.D. Student (Fall 2019)
Bethany worked on population genetics and systematics of Viola (Violaceae) for her M.Sc.
and will be tackling phylogenomic, cytogenetic and population-level questions in Cactaceae for her Ph.D.
Bethany worked on population genetics and systematics of Viola (Violaceae) for her M.Sc.
and will be tackling phylogenomic, cytogenetic and population-level questions in Cactaceae for her Ph.D.
Undergraduate Researchers
Allison Blankenship, Undergraduate Researcher.
Allison is an undergraduate student in the department of biology. She started in the lab in spring 2019 and has been working on a number of projects in the lab, including plastid genome annotation in Simaroubaceae and DNA extractions for genome sequencing projects. She will be working further on the evolutionary and biogeographic history of a phenomenal group of Neotropical Simaroubaceae.
Allison is an undergraduate student in the department of biology. She started in the lab in spring 2019 and has been working on a number of projects in the lab, including plastid genome annotation in Simaroubaceae and DNA extractions for genome sequencing projects. She will be working further on the evolutionary and biogeographic history of a phenomenal group of Neotropical Simaroubaceae.
Research Scholars
Matias Kohler, Ph.D. student, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Matias is a short term scholar working in the lab on the phylogenetics and systematics of the southern South American Opuntia clade. His work is greatly clarifying relationships among the South American prickly pears, and he'll be addressing biogeographic patterns in the clade, as it relates to the entire Opuntia clade.
Lab Alumni
Sean Noudali (ASU) was an undergrad intern in the lab at DBG from
fall 2017-spring 2018. He worked on a variety of projects in the lab,
and is now working on his degree in neuroscience at ASU.
fall 2017-spring 2018. He worked on a variety of projects in the lab,
and is now working on his degree in neuroscience at ASU.
Dr. Peter Breslin worked in the lab at DBG, where he focused
on the biogeography, phylogenetics and population demographics of
hummingbird-pollinated species of Mammillaria (Cactaceae) in Baja, California, and a
large phylogenomic analysis of the Mammiloid clade. He just successfully defended his dissertation spring 2020!
on the biogeography, phylogenetics and population demographics of
hummingbird-pollinated species of Mammillaria (Cactaceae) in Baja, California, and a
large phylogenomic analysis of the Mammiloid clade. He just successfully defended his dissertation spring 2020!
Dawn O'Brien was a volunteer in the lab at DBG from 2014-1015 and helped
advance a number of important projects, including much of the whole plastome
sequencing in Opuntia. She is now working on her medical degree at University of Arizona.
advance a number of important projects, including much of the whole plastome
sequencing in Opuntia. She is now working on her medical degree at University of Arizona.
Students in Training
Gabriel Majure specializes in carnivorous plants and has a keen interest in Medusozoa (we are a diverse group).
REMEMBERING
W. Mark Whitten
Ph.D. (Botany), University of Florida, 1985
M.S. (Botany), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1979
B.S. (Biology), Thomas More College, 1976
Mark was a man of many talents and the backbone of the herbarium
molecular laboratory. Although he was a specialist in the systematics
of Orchidaceae, he also worked on floristics projects, community
phylogenetics and much, much more.
We lost Dr. Whitten suddenly in mid-April. He will never be
far from our hearts, and we will forever miss him.
Ph.D. (Botany), University of Florida, 1985
M.S. (Botany), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1979
B.S. (Biology), Thomas More College, 1976
Mark was a man of many talents and the backbone of the herbarium
molecular laboratory. Although he was a specialist in the systematics
of Orchidaceae, he also worked on floristics projects, community
phylogenetics and much, much more.
We lost Dr. Whitten suddenly in mid-April. He will never be
far from our hearts, and we will forever miss him.
Prospective students and Post-docs should contact lmajure@floridamuseum.ufl.edu for more information.
