Principal Investigator

Stephane Boissinot

Stephane Boissinot is an evolutionary biologist whose research addresses fundamental biological questions using the tools and concepts of population genetics, molecular evolution and comparative genomics. His main research interests are the evolution of transposable elements, the evolution of phenotypes, and the mechanisms of adaptation in invasive species and in species inhabiting extreme habitats. He was member of the faculty at Queens College (City University of New York) until 2014. I joined NYU Abu Dhabi in January 2015. CV

Postdocs

Sandra Goutte

Sandra Goutte is an evolutionary biologist with a broad interest in trait evolution. Her research integrates behavioral ecology, phylogenetics, and genomics to explore the forces shaping the biological diversity observed in nature. She combines field and laboratory studies with phylogenetic comparative analyses to understand how environmental factors interact with organisms’ intrinsic properties to drive phenotypic evolution. Currently, She is investigating the drivers of color and color pattern evolution in frogs and toads.

Mariana Lyra

Mariana Lyra is a biologist and biodiversity scientist. Her research interests have focused on using genetic data to understand diverse aspects of the herpetofauna evolution, including species boundaries, systematics and biogeography. Her current research seeks to understand how genomic diversity and environmental conditions shaped the phenotypic diversity in the green anole, Anolis carolinensis.

Dineshkumar Krishnamoorthy

Dineshkumar Krishnamoorthy has a deep interest in exploring the population biology and adaptation mechanisms of invasive mesquite trees (Prosopis spp.), which have flourished as a result of anthropogenic activities and climate change. His research leverages panomics technologies to study these adaptations and the evolution of mesquite trees in diverse habitats. He currently focuses on (1) exploring population structure, demography, and hybridization in shaping genetic diversity; (2) identifying genetic bases of adaptation in invasive populations; and (3) linking genotypes and phenotypes across various habitats.

Neelu Begum

Neelu Begum is a bioinformatician and systems biologist with specialized training in the human mycobiome. She is now expanding her research interests into the genetic architecture, population genomics, and adaptive evolution of palm pests at NYU Abu Dhabi. She joined the Boissinot Lab in October 2022 and is passionate about understanding the key factors that make Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, the red palm weevil, such a pervasive and damaging invasive species with serious environmental and economic impacts worldwide.

Gabriel Mochales Riaño

Gabriel Mochales Riaño is an evolutionary biologist with a strong interest in the study of amphibians and reptiles (though not exclusively). Within these groups, he uses several -omic techniques to enhance high-quality genomic resources and study their evolutionary history through phylogenomics and comparative genomics. Recently, he has gained interest in studying genotype-to-phenotype interactions and exploring the field of adaptation genomics.

Doctoral Student

Theo Busschau

Theo Busschau is an evolutionary biologist and naturalist passionate about reptiles. His research uses genetic data to infer the biogeographic processes and selection pressures driving speciation and trait evolution. His PhD thesis aims at understanding the genomic basis of phenotypic polymorphism and convergence in vipers.

Undergraduate students

Kripa Shrestha

Kripa Shrestha is a senior from Nepal; she joined the lab in September 2023 to pursue her capstone project, which investigates the genetic and evolutionary mysteries of red palm weevils(Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). These “wee evils” are fascinating invasive pests that have successfully spread across the globe, wreaking havoc on palm trees and posing significant challenges for farmers. Their impressive ability to adapt to diverse environments makes them particularly formidable, underscoring their reputation as both remarkable survivors and troublesome invaders. Her work is fueled by a deep curiosity about biodiversity and the intricate ways in which genomic factors shape evolutionary processes. She is particularly focused on understanding how these factors enable species to adapt and thrive in response to environmental changes, offering valuable insights into the resilience and diversity of life on our planet.

Sophie Molina Orozco

Sophie Molina Orozco is an undergrad student from Northern Mexico. She is interested in conservation, ecology and evolutionary genetics, particularly when it comes to plants. For this reason, she is working on a project about Mesquite trees. Her work focuses on phenotypic and genomic differences between different populations of these trees. She is mostly interested in the adaptiveness of this plant in both Mexico, where it is native, and in the United Arab Emirates, where it is invasive.  In her free time, she learns botanical illustration to mix my two passions, arts and plants.

Bisha Shahid

Bisha Shahid is a senior at NYU Abu Dhabi from Pakistan, with a strong interest in molecular biology and genetics. She is currently working on a comparative study of red palm weevil populations from Abu Dhabi and Thailand. Her research focuses on understanding the phenotypic and genetic adaptations that allow this pest to thrive in diverse environments. She traveled to Thailand, where she collected samples while immersing herself in the local culture. There she conducted morphometric measurements and performed DNA and RNA extractions, utilizing the resources at Kasetsart University. Additionally, she is analyzing wing images from the collected samples using geometric morphometrics. By identifying genomic differences between populations, she aims to correlate these findings with the morphometric variations observed.

Former Lab Members

Former postdocs

Dareen Almojil - Lead Research Scientist , Nuwat for Environmental Research and Education, Bahrain 

Yann Bourgeois - Researcher at the IRD Montpellier

Sebastian Kirchhof - Curator at the Abu Dhabi Museum of Natural History

Joseph Manthey - Associate Professor at Texas Tech University

Jacobo Reyes Velasco - Independent Researcher at Herp.mx

Robert Ruggiero - Associate professor at South East Missouri State University

Justin Wilcox - Postdoc at Dortmund University

Former doctoral student

Abeje Kassie (Addis Ababa University)

Former undergrads

JooHee Choi

Marcin Fallis

Jigar Govind

Imtiyaz Hariyani

Mona Nehme

Paula Mora Rojas

Sameer Shaik

Sudikchya Shrestha

Kole Utzinger

Nina Zhao