Linnen lab


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Dr. Catherine Linnen



Principal Investigator





Catherine (she/her) earned her B.S. in Ecology from the University of Georgia. She then went on to complete her Ph.D. in Brian Farrell's lab and a postdoc in Hopi Hoekstra's lab, both in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky. When not in the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family.


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Dr. Danielle Herrig



Postdoc





Danielle a geneticist broadly interested in how a single species diverges to become separate species and how populations respond to environmental changes. She is particularly intrigued by how species with complex life cycles are especially diverse and proficient at adapting to new environments. Her current research focuses on understanding changes in gene expression levels at different life stages and sexes which result in drastically distinct phenotypes and behaviors.


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Dr. Jeremy Davis



Postdoc





Jeremy is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow studying the invasive white pine sawfly Diprion similis. Leveraging both historical collections and modern sampling, Jeremy is investigating adaptation and population genetics associated with a host shift to white pine after D. similis was introduced to North America in 1914. Jeremy is broadly interested in speciation, population genomics, host-plant adaptation, and plant-insect dynamics. He is also passionate about science policy and communication.


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Jane Dostart



Lab Manager





Jane is so busy collecting data and taking care of our lab babies that she hasn't had a chance to send a photo and blurb. So for now, please enjoy a photo of two sawfly embryos nearing hatch time.


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Ashleigh Glover



PhD Candidate





Ashleigh earned her B.S. in biological sciences and M.S. in ecology and sustainability from California State University, Stanislaus. For her PhD dissertation, she is investigating spatial variation in reproductive barriers and genomic differentiation between a pair of hybridizing Neodiprion sister species. The overarching goal of her dissertation is to infer causal links between reproductive isolation traits and genomic differentiation to gain a greater understanding of speciation. Outside of the lab, Ashleigh enjoys scuba diving and spending time with her family.


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Ryan Ridenbaugh



PhD Student





Ryan (he/him) am an evolutionary biologist and systematist who graduated from the University of Central Florida with both his B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences. He broadly focuses on the biodiversity of the insect order Hymenoptera, and the underlying mechanisms driving speciation in this group. His Ph.D. research focuses on mechanosensitive ion channels in the sawfly ovipositor, and how these channels impact host choice and fitness.


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Cole Railey



Undergraduate researcher





Cole Railey is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a specialty in Ecology and Evolution. He plans to attend medical school after completion of his undergraduate degree to become an interventional radiologist. In his free time, Cole enjoys trail running with friends, canvas painting, and creative writing.


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Colton Kendall



Undergraduate researcher





Colton is a sophomore Biology major with a focus in Evolution and Ecology from Cynthiana, KY. After completing his degree, he plans to attend medical school, where he hopes to become a dermatologist. In his free time, Colton enjoys hiking, photography, and playing tennis.


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Wynne Radcliffe



Undergraduate researcher





Wynne (she/her) is a sophomore student pursuing a BS in Biology with a minor in Wildlife Management. She plans to receive a Master’s Degree in Marine Biology and an eventual PhD with a focus on chondrichthyes. In her free time, Wynne enjoys exploring new coffee shops, being a movie buff, and being outdoors.


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Vasav Rachan



Undergraduate researcher





Vasav is a sophomore Biology major, on a Pre-Medical track, at the University of Kentucky. He plans to receive his bachelor's in biology then go to medical school, in hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon. His hobbies include playing sports, video games, and working out!


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Nathan Settle



Undergraduate researcher





Nathan is so busy collecting data for his undergraduate research project that he hasn't yet had a chance to send a photo and blurb. So for now, please enjoy this photo of a hatching N. lecontei larva.


email

Will Holland



Undergraduate researcher





Will is a sophomore biology major from Owensboro, KY. After completing his undergraduate degree at UK, his goal is to pursue medicine and become a pediatrician in the future. In his free time, Will likes to exercise, do community service, and be outdoors.


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Lab alumni



Dr. Robin Bagley (former PhD student)



Assistant Professor, Ohio State Lima



Dr. Emily Bendall (former PhD student)



Postdoc, University of Michigan



Dr. Kim Vertacnik (former PhD student)



Genomics researcher, Columbia Inter-Tribal Fish Commission



Dr. John Terbot II (former PhD student)



Your Subtitle Here



Megan Thomas (former grad student)



Middle school science teacher, Frankfort, KY



Dr. Claire O'Quin (former postdoc)



Instructor, Centre College



Dr. Matt Niemiller (former postdoc)



Assistant Professor, University of Alabama Huntsville



Nicole Payne (former lab manager)



Fertigation manager, Kentucky Fresh Harvest



Maya Woolfolk (former undergrad)



PhD student, Harvard University



Abby Hillmann (former undergrad)



PhD student, University of Pittsburg



Ashley Filbeck (former undergrad)



University of Kentucky Medical School



Maranda Gaines (former undergrad)



Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine



Kayla Mattingly (former undergrad)



University of Kentucky Medical School



Gavin Norman (former undergrad)



More former undergrads (gone but not forgotten!)



Taylor Shackleford (2011-2013); Kathryn DeVeau (Fall 2011-Spring 2012); Mary Collins (2012-2013); Kyle Schwachter (2011-2012); Rachael Ziembroski (Summer 2012); Melanie Hurst (2013-2016); Meghan Pasquale (2013); Aubrey Mojesky (2013); Emily Stromberg (2013); Katherine Harper (2013-2015); Alonna (Ballinger) Wright (2013-2014); Ahmad Nawaz (2013-2014); Ethan Adams (2014); Ismaeel Siddiqi (2014); Jeremy Frederick (2014-2015); Jordan Wolfe (2014-2015); Natascha Richardson (2014); Layne Gaynor (2014-2017); Connor Sears (2014-2016); Minh Tran (2014); Jesse Vaught (2014); MacKenzie Taylor (2014); Nicole Hopkins (2015); Maya Gershtenson (2015-2017); Adam Douglas (2015-2017); Julianne Horn (2015-2016); Carrie Anderson (2015-2017); Ndeye Thiaw (2015-2018); Anna Sosso (2016-2017); Brianna Washington (2016-2017); Hallee Mason (2016-2018); Nicollette Payne (2016-2020); Dylan P’Simer (2016-2017); Abby Hillman (2017-2020); Sarah Ward (2017); Kayla Mattingly (2017-2019); Parisa Shamaei Zadeh (2017-2018); Marcus Barnett (2017); Maranda Gaines (2018-2019); Daniel Oxnard (2018-2019); Sydney Hall (2018); Lisandra Plana-Ramos (2019); Lukas Reynolds (2019); Corey Edwards (2019); Allyson Appel (2017-2020); Maya Woolfolk (2018-2020) Ashley Filbeck (2018-2020); Sarah Lau (2018-2020); Avery Webb (2019-2020); Alexandria Pete (2019-2020); Roma Karna (2019-2020); Priya Rai (2019-2020)



Linnen Lab | Department of Biology | University of Kentucky



204E Thomas Hunt Morgan Building Lexington, KY 40506


catherine.linnen@uky.edu