People

Principal Investigator

PI Strader


mariestrader
Google Scholar

Dr. Marie Strader (she/her)

B.Sc University of Oregon (2010)
Ph.D. the University of Texas at Austin (2012-2017)
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California Santa Barbara (2017-2019)
Research Assistant Professor, Auburn University (2019-2022)
Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University (2022-present)

I am a marine molecular ecologist interested in mechanisms of organismal responses to the environment. I investigate how marine invertebrates respond to predicted changes in ocean environments from the level of genes to populations in an evolutionary ecology context. The overarching theme of my research program is to investigate how our changing climate influences ecological and evolutionary responses of marine invertebrates.

Post-doctoral Fellows


Amy Tan, Ph.D

B.S. Walla Walla University (2013)
M.S. Walla Walla University (2015)
Ph.D. Texas A&M University (2022)
Amy is a developmental and molecular biologist currently investigating how epigenomes and phenotypes are shaped by environmental conditions. She uses the purple sea urchin to examine how microbial communities and sea water temperatures impact larval urchin size, immune system, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression. Amy’s PhD work focused on development of the zebrafish inner ear, especially how signals are coordinated and cooperate to pattern sensory and neural regions of the inner ear. Prior to that, she studied regeneration of internal organs in a sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) as a Masters student and, as an undergraduate, worked on projects related to the impact of sea cucumbers in tropical coral reef environments.


Ph.D. Students


Mikayla Clark

Mikayla is a PhD student in the Biology program. She received her B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee and her M.Sc. in Marine Microbiology from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology. She has an eclectic research history ranging from cytokinesis and bioinformatics to plant biotechnology and algal bloom dynamics. She is interested in exploring the molecular mechanisms behind Cassiopea phenotypic plasticity. Outside of the lab, she is a dog mom, scuba diver, and crafter. 


Stephanie Hendricks

B.Sc. Texas A&M University (2021)
Stephanie is a third year PhD student in Biology. She received her B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston in 2021. Her past research focused on the down-regulated genes in the immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) using transcriptomics and bioinformatics. Stephanie is broadly interested in studying the role of the environment in shaping marine invertebrate traits. Some of her current projects include investigating thermal tolerance through gene expression plasticity to enable selective breeding in Acropora tenuis along Ningaloo Coast, Western Australia and investigating the role of temperature on the establishment of the microbiome and consequences for larval infection in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Some of Stephanie’s hobbies include traveling, photography, and collecting rocks.


Myles Wagner

Myles is a PhD student in the EEB interdisciplinary program. He is interested in the thermotolerance of cnidarians and how this interacts with their symbiosis, the population genetics of Cassiopea, and the changing biogeography of our oceans. Myles received a bachelors degree in Marine Biology and Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Rhode Island where he studied speciation in Brevolium symbionts using transcriptomics. Following his undergraduate degree he spent time working in the Coral Reproduction Lab at Mote Marine Lab. Outside of his academic pursuits Myles is an avid Scuba diver and underwater photographer, and enjoys playing ultimate frisbee.

Undergraduates

Martin Carrasco

My name is Martin Carrasco and I am from El Paso Texas. I came to Texas A&M university to study biology and get involved in the amazing research that is being held here. I hope to go on to obtain a DVM but also one day teach as well. I enjoy playing tennis and most recently going down to Galveston to hunt for seashells.

Ainsley Milikien

I am an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University studying biomedical sciences with a pre-medical track. Currently, I am studying the jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana, the upside down jellyfish, in the Strader lab.

Technicians


Ziyu (Tobi) Wang

B. Sc. Texas A&M University (2023)
Tobi, his scientific name, Ziyu, is our resident Lab Technician and marine invertebrate babysitter with a heart for upside-down jellies. Tobi is knee-deep in research to uncover how the world of rising sea temperatures impact organismal traits. His current projects involve investigating thermo-tolerance of upside-down jelly’s early life stages—polyp and ephyra—which are vulnerable stages that directly influence population persistence. He is also interested in discovering how heat stress affects the sleep-like state in upside-down jellies, through behavioral assays and molecular techniques. Before joining the lab, he learned his jelly care skills at the Georgia Aquarium, mastering the art of jelly husbandry. Whether he’s fine-tuning tank conditions or exploring evolutionary secrets, Tobi brings a splash of expertise and enthusiasm to the lab every day. During his free time, Tobi loves to read. His favorite authors are Virginia Woolf, May Sarton, Franz Kafka, and Garth Greenwell.

Previous Lab Members

Sarah Leinbach


Sarah Leinbach

M.Sc. Auburn University (2022)
B.Sc. University of Maryland, College Park (2019)
Sarah graduated from the Strader Lab (Auburn University) in May 2022 with a M.Sc. in Biology. Sarah’s thesis focused on understanding intraspecific variation in coral reproductive output and symbiont community structure following a thermal bleaching event in the reef-building coral Acropora hyacinthus. Sarah currently works as a restoration technician at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.