Dávalos Lab
We focus on biodiversity and conserving the world’s life support systems into the future. In our research, we use genetics, genomics, and statistical tools to discover mechanisms of extinction and survival.
What’s balance of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon? Check out this report at Mongabay LatAm by Antonio Paz .
Did Operación Artemisa, a military effort to stop deforestation, work? Not according to this report at Mongabay LatAm by David Tarazona and Julian Parra.
Principal Investigator
Liliana M. Dávalos is Professor of Conservation Biology at Stony Brook University’s Department of Ecology and Evolution. Centered on biodiversity, her research applies a range of molecular and quantitative tools ranging from molecular evolution to spatial statistics.
- Molecular Evolution
- Phylogenetics
- Sustainability
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PhD in Ecology, Evolution,and Environmental Biology, 2004
Columbia University (New York, New York)
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Certificate in Environmental Policy Studies, 2001
Columbia University (New York, New York)
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BSc in Biology (emphasis on Genetics), 1997
Universidad del Valle (Cali, Colombia)
Experience
ProfessorStony Brook University
May 2008 - Present · New York
Consultant
United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
May 2008 - Present · New York
Lecturer
Open University
January 2007 - May 2008 · Milton Keynes
Columbia University
Fall 2005 - Spring 2006 · New York
Honors & Awards
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching2022 Award for Excellence in Assessment
5 May 2022
2022 Celebration of Teaching Awards.
Watch videoMiddlebury College Environmental Studies Program
Scott A. Margolin '99 Lecture in Environmental Affairs
22 April 2021
This annual lecture, like the Environmental Studies Program, takes an interdisciplinary approach to the natural environment and human interaction with it.
Watch videoHuman Frontier Science Program Award
Human Frontier Science Program
July 2019 - June 2022
To investigate evolution and mechanisms of seasonal reversible size changes in a mammal.
See noticeTeaching Excellence Award
Stony Brook University College of Arts and Sciences
April 2016
For outstanding teaching and true caring for students.
Kavli Frontiers of Science Israeli-American Symposium
Kavli Frontiers of Science
June 2013
Symposia bring together outstanding young scientists to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in a broad range of disciplines.
See profileMeet the Lab
Principal Investigator
Liliana M. Dávalos
Professor of Conservation Biology
Researchers
Lama, Tanya
NSF Rules of Life and IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow.
Graduate Students
Brown, Alexis
PhD Student.
Cornejo, Fanny
IDPAS PhD candidate.
Donat, Paul
PhD Candidate.
Sipperly, Nicolette
PhD Candidate and Anonymous Donation RA.
Thomas, William R.
PhD Candidate and HFSP RA.
Undergraduate Students
Bedoya, Maria Alejandra
UG student.
Chen, Trinity
UG student.
Talavera, Hannah
UG student.
Wood, Georgiana
UG student.
Alumni
Abubakar, Ramatu
Dimensions REU, 2015.
Afzal, Sanah
Dimensions REU, 2015.
Baird, Brandon
Brandon graduated (BSc) Spring 2011. Joined the CUNY Graduate Program in 2013.
Barger, Laura
Ward Melville High School, 2010. Graduated Spring 2011 and entered the University of Pennsylvania Fall 2011.
Bartasunaite, Margarita
Dimensions REU, 2015.
Bruno, Alessondra
Kings Park High School, 2014.
Caballero, Elodia
Brentwood High School, 2012. Graduated Spring 2013 and entered Columbia University Fall 2013.
Cheng, Courtney
Smithtown High School East, 2014.
Connell, Peter J.
Oceanside High School, 2010. Graduated Spring 2011 and entered SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry Fall 2011.
Cornejo, Kendra
Brentwood High School, 2010. Graduated Spring 2011 and entered Brown University Fall 2011.
Dahan, Romain
Graduated (MA) Spring 2014. Joined a PhD at Arizona State University in 2014.
DelSerra, Samantha
Graduated (MA) Winter 2014.
DeRosa, Samantha
Smithtown High School West, 2014.
Donnelly, Gabrielle
Smithtown High School East, 2013.
Gochman, Samuel
Half Hollow Hills High School West, 2013.
Goldberg, Aaron
Graduated (MA) Spring 2011.
Hall, Mark
Completed his volunteer project in 2012.
He, Kenneth
King’s Park High School, 2015. Graduated Spring 2016.
Heder, Sarah
Undergraduate researcher, 2018-2019.
Islam, Amena
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2021.
Lauterbur, M. Elise
Graduated (PhD) Spring 2019. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona.
Lei, Bonnie
Walnut High School, 2010. Graduated Spring 2011, Harvard University 2015, currently at Microsoft.
Lengers, Alex
Graduated (MA) Spring 2017.
Leung, Emily
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2015.
Li, Edward
Stuyvesant High School, 2013.
Lim, Marisa
Graduated (PhD) Fall 2018. Currently a researcher at 10X Genomics.
Loop, Isabelle
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2021.
Malewicz, Kaitlyn
Undergraduate researcher, 2018-2019. Joined a PhD at Virginia Tech University.
Martin, Katie
Graduated (MA) Spring 2017. Joined a PhD at the University of Central Florida.
McPherran, Anna
Graduated (Ma) Spring 2022.
Medina, Mirena
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2022.
Mets, Kristjan
Graduated (PhD) Spring 2022.
Micko, Julie
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2021.
Moore, Marianne S.
IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow 2013-2015. Currently faculty at Arizona State University.
Morales, Cameron
Sanford H. Calhoun High School, 2014.
Navillo, John
US-FWS REU, 2016.
Pantino, DJ
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2013.
Patil, Bhavana
Dimensions REU, 2015.
Peña, Johana
Brentwood High School, 2012.
Perez, Yasin
Brentwood High School, 2013-2014.
Poterewicz, Gregory
US-FWS REU, 2013-2015.
Rojas, Danny
FCT-Portugal Postdoctoral Fellow 2013-2017. Currently faculty at Universidad Javeriana, Cali, Colombia.
Rosenthal, Hannah
Smithtown High School West, 2015. Graduated Spring 2017 and entered Cornell University Fall 2017.
Rothleder, Jonah
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2013.
Rowe, Zachary
Smithtown High School East, 2012. Graduated Spring 2013, joined Stony Brook University Fall 2013.
Semel, Jessica
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2021.
Shah, Yesha
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2013.
Szeto, Anne
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2011.
Tucker, Clara
Graduated (Ma) Spring 2022.
Tudda, Genna
Graduated (MA) Spring 2013.
Vaccaro, Sarah
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2022.
Warsi, Omar M.
Graduated (PhD) Fall 2014. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University.
Wei, Nancy
Herricks High School, 2012. Graduated Spring 2013, entered Northwestern University (biological sciences) Fall 2013.
Yohe, Laurel R.
Graduated (PhD) Spring 2017, Dimensions postdoctoral researcher 2017-2018. Currently faculty at University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
Zhang, Xiaoyu
Graduated (MA) Fall 2013.
Zheng, Melissa
Graduated (BSc) Spring 2012.
Integrated mechanisms of environment-host-virome interactions
In nature, encounters between humans and wildlife correlate with greater viral burdens in wildlife and therefore with higher risk of new viral pathogens spilling over into human populations. Yet, the factors contributing to this risk remain poorly understood, especially among highly mobile, but tightly packed populations of animals, such as cave-dwelling bats. Using the Egyptian fruitbat as a study system, this project seeks to understand how factors such as access to food, overall animal health, and responses to immune challenges influence each other in the wild to control the degree of viral infection in populations experiencing variable exposure to humans. The project will use highly integrative approaches to illuminate the fundamental biology of disease risk and to enhance the capacity to predict risks of viral spillover from bats to other wildlife or to humans. The project will also have broader impact on education and training by implementing an innovative active-learning experience, called “From the Bat Cave – Integrative Disease Research for Undergraduates”, in which postdoctoral researchers will learn to apply integrative research and mentoring methods to involve cohorts of undergraduate students in research and peer-peer mentoring through GBatNet, a NSF-funded international network of bat research groups.
Global Union of Bat Diversity Networks (GBatNet)
Data and internship opportunities available to new students. Bats play critical roles in ecosystems globally. However, key aspects of bat biology, from the causes and consequences of population declines to their ability to transmit viruses to people, remain poorly understood. This AccelNet project establishes the Global Union of Bat Diversity Networks (GBatNet) to fill key knowledge gaps and create an international structure to accelerate discoveries across disciplines and borders. The network of networks fosters new avenues for global research exchange through coordination of joint research, education, and outreach. GBatNet links 14 regional and global networks with a shared vision to address pressing questions in bat biology of direct relevance to ecosystem and human health.
Bat goblet cells as immuno-hotspots for infection of coronavirus
Data available to new students. Why are bats so likely to carry coronaviruses, yet seem little affected by them? Many studies have focused on their immune system, but there is much to learn about the cells viruses attack upon entry.
Immunological adaptations in bats to moderate the effect of coronavirus infection
Data available to new students. All aspects of society have been upended by COVID-19. While most research has understandably focused on clinical applications, how the ancestors of SARS-CoV2 survive and circulate in nature is vital to both prevent future epidemics and help health professionals develop therapeutic treatments.
Inter-Species Modeling for Spillback/Spillover Avoidance
In support of RA Kristjan Mets. While scientific reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has been swift, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spilling back into native North American wildlife and feral domestic animals remains underexplored. Experimental infections of a variety of hosts, serological analyses of the cats in Wuhan, and cases of COVID-19 among tigers and lions in the Bronx Zoo, all have shown transmission back to wildlife and feral cats is highly probable. Tools are urgently needed to determine which of these animal populations are at greatest risk of establishing a native reservoir, and where the overlap with human populations is greatest. We propose to model the risk of spillover to animal populations and conversely the risk of future secondary spillover by combining models of molecular interaction between the virus and potential hosts, with multi- species Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) models. Complementing decades of experience in vertebrate genomics (Dávalos) with expertise in epidemiology (Meliker), and spatial dynamics of wildlife disease (Mets), ours is the ideal team to quickly generate and test the necessary models to avert this risk.
Regrowing the brain; evolution and mechanisms of seasonal reversible size changes in a mammal
To answer the question of how the shrew shrinks and then regrows its brain, we will establish this unusual species as a new model, by studying the biological, molecular, biochemical and genetic processes behind this reversible size change.
The death and life of biodiversity: modeling extinction and resilience on islands
Data available for new students. We assembled a group of socio-environmental scientists to analyze and model the natural and human factors that determine the extinction and resilience of insular vertebrate fauna and leverage this understanding into metrics for use in conservation assessments.
The Very Extended Phenotype: connecting genetics and evolution to ecological function
We propose to develop a cross-scale research program that focuses on the relationships between phylogenetic diversity, genetic diversity and functional diversity of a biologically and economically important taxonomic group; bats.
Genomics of exceptions to scaling of longevity to body size
Data available to new students. This project focuses on pairs of closely related bat species that sharply differ in their longevity. Detailed genome comparisons between closely related species with different life spans will test different theories of aging.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Training to Understand and Inform Decision Processes Using Advanced Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization
This training program responds to the challenges of new careers at the interface between science and decision making with an interdisciplinary set of new courses and a suite of activities united by the theme of “Scientific Training and Research to Inform DEcisions” (STRIDE).
Chance or necessity? Adaptive vs. non adaptive evolution in plant-frugivore interactions
Data available to new students. The project focuses on a relatively unexplored yet crucial aspect of plant-animal mutualisms; volatile chemical communication between plants and vertebrate frugivores.
Discovering genomic and developmental mechanisms that underlie sensory innovations critical to adaptive diversification
Data available to new students. This project focuses on a diverse group of tropical bats in which various species evolved acute, specialized hearing, supersensitive eyes, the ability to smell subtle plant chemicals, or highly developed vomeronasal systems (thought to contribute to mating and social hierarchy).
Uncovering skin immune proteins as predictors of resistance against WNS
The goal of this project was to discover the mechanisms underlying the survival of remnant populations in the WNS-affected area.
Diversification in Noctilionoid Bats
Noctilionoid bats comprise more than 200 species that span the entire ecological diversity of land mammals. They range from tiny insectivores and nectarivores to large carnivores, and even vampire bats. This is an unparalleled system for understanding how, when, and where bats evolved new diets, changed roosting habits and developed different kinds of echolocation. Together with the N. B. Simmons Lab, we are generating species-level phylogenies using molecular and morphological data, and including fossils of >20 extinct species. These phylogenies provide frameworks for investigating patterns and processes of ecological adaptation, speciation, and extinction across a hyperdiverse group of mammals.
Historical Biogeography of the Antilles
The project will generate hypotheses about the evolutionary relationships of 5 different groups of bats, each containing at least one exclusively Antillean species. These evolutionary relationships will then be used to establish the timing and pattern of separation among bat species in the Antilles and their South and Central American relatives, and will also be compared with similar hypotheses about other terrestrial organisms. Drs. Nancy Simmons, Rob DeSalle, and Liliana Davalos will use standard methods for obtaining and analyzing morphological and molecular data from the study groups. Patterns of evolutionary relationships resulting from these data will be compared applying at least 5 different approaches.
- liliana.davalos@stonybrook.edu
- 631 632 1554
- Enter Life Sciences Building and take the lift to Office 630 on Floor 6
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