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Loren Cassin Sackett, Associate Professor​ (she/her/ella)
I am an evolutionary biologist whose research centers around the evolution of small populations and the influence of pathogens on evolution of their hosts. I currently focus on two main systems: avian malaria in Hawaiian honeycreepers and sylvatic plague in prairie dogs. I am working to characterize the genomic basis of recently evolved resistance/tolerance and to better understand spatial, genomics and ecological constraints on adaptation. 

You can find my CV on this page (or download a pdf here), visit my GitHub page, check out my current projects here, find out what critters I've seen lately on iNaturalist, and follow my adventures in science and travel on Instagram.
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Graduate Students:

​Gabrielle Atkinson (she/her): I am a PhD student studying Environmental and Evolutionary Biology; my research interests include using genetics/genomics to study how the introduction of a pathogen can affect the evolution of the host species and the dynamics of an ecosystem. I am specifically interested in avian diseases, and studied avian malaria in Hawaiian Honeycreepers under Dr. Sackett as an undergraduate at the University of South Florida, where I received my Bachelor's in Biomedical Sciences. In my free time I enjoy playing or watching soccer and eating pizza.
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Carlos Campos: I am a PhD student in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. I joined the Cassin Sackett lab in the fall of 2021. My research interest is how environmental factors impact the genomic evolution of threatened avian species. I will be studying how the genomes of Hawaiian honeycreepers have changed over time since the introduction of avian malaria to the Hawaiian islands. I previously worked on endangered parrot population genetics at New Mexico State University where I graduated with a Bachelor's in Biology in 2019 before working as a lab tech for 2 years post graduation. In my free time, I enjoy going for a stroll through the park with my son!

Jordan Love (he/him): I am a PhD student in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. I joined the Cassin Sackett lab in the fall of 2022. My research interests focus on the genetics/ genomics of pathogens as well as their vectors, and my main interest in the lab is discerning the species of fleas that carry Yersinia pestis, applying phylogeographic techniques to help explain plague dynamics in Gunnison's prairie dogs. I received my Bashelor's of Science in Chemistry-Premed at Louisiana Tech University and my Master's of Science in Biology at Mississippi College. In my free time I enjoy listening to music and watching any type of sports.

Carolina Thomas Rojas: I'm a master's student studying gut parasites and the relationship between helminths and microbiota/genome/transcriptome in capybaras. I received my bachelor's degree at Universidad de los Andes, Colombia under the direction of Dr. Sackett and Dr. Andrew Crawford.  My interests are oriented towards medical field and research projects related to microbial ecology, infectious and parasitic diseases in wildlife mammals, and wildlife conservation biology. In my free time I enjoy swimming and going to the park with my dog.


Zariah Ross (she/her): I am a master's student studying hybridization in subpopulations of Gunnison prairie dogs. I joined the Cassin Sackett lab in 2025. My research interests include hybridization, speciation, and evolution. In my free time I enjoy watching movies and hanging out with my cat.
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Luke Estes (he/him): I am a PhD student in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. My research interests are genomics and bioinformatics. I want to utilize these interests to understand plague resistance in different populations of prairie dogs. I previously worked with the Joint Genomes Institute’s MycoEd to help create a workflow for undergraduate researchers interested in doing comparative genomics in fungi. This workflow was constructed while I was completing my bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In my free time I like to travel
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Undergraduate Students:

Kaitlyn Hill: I am an undergraduate student with a major in biology with a concentration in veterinary bioscience. I joined the Cassin Sackett lab in 2025. My research focus is on allele fluctuations over time in black-tailed prairie dog populations. After graduation in 2027, I plan on attending veterinary school to become a mixed animal veterinarian. My interests are veterinary medicine and companion and exotic animals. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, and hanging out with my family pets.

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Marley Johnson: I am an undergraduate planning to graduate in 2029 with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Following that, I plan to go to veterinary school so that I can work in the veterinary field. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, watching movies, and hanging out with my cat.


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Sedric Newman
Landon Smith ​

Prospective Graduate Students:
I am currently able to accept only new graduate students who are on fellowships.  This may be you!  I am eager to mentor students, especially those from minoritized identities, with interests in genomics, evolution, conservation, wildlife infectious disease, bioinformatics, and related topics. Somos un grupo bilingüe, y l@s hispanohablantes son muy bienvenid@s!

About you: You are highly motivated, hard-working and curious. You have experience in--or the desire to learn--genetic, genomic and bioinformatic techniques to understand evolution. You are tolerant of and willing to work respectfully with diverse groups of people.
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Collaborators:
Our lab is fortunate enough to collaborate with exceptional scientists in academia, nonprofits, management agencies, and education outreach.

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​Joe Busch (Northern Arizona University)
Susette Castañeda Rico (Smithsonian Institution)
Center for Conservation Genomics (Smithsonian Institution)

Cali Crampton & Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project
Andrew Crawford (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)
​Ana Davidson (Colorado State University)

Rebecca Dikow (Smithsonian Institution)
Nina Fefferman (University of Tennessee)
Rob Fleischer (Smithsonian National Zoo)

Dina Fonseca (Rutgers University)
Jeff Foster (University of New Hampshire)
​Marm Kilpatrick (UC Santa Cruz)

Hugo López Arévalo (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)
Andy Martin (University of Colorado)
Bryan McLean (University of North Carolina Greensboro)

Olga Montenegro (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)
Hanna Mounce & Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
Eben Paxton (U.S. Geological Survey)

Kristina Paxton (University of Hawaii, Hilo)
Katie Richgels (USGS National Wildlife Health Center)
​Tonie Rocke (USGS National Wildlife Health Center)

Amy Seglund (Colorado Parks & Wildlife)
Kevin Shoemaker (University of Nevada, Reno)
Mirian Tsuchiya (Smithsonian Institution)
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Lab alumni:
Gabrielle Atkinson, Ph.D, now research technician at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Anna Jackson, M.S., now lab manager for Kartzinel lab at Brown University​
Sydni Joubran, M.S., now a research assistant at the New Iberia Research Center
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Erin Arnold, former lab manager, now a biologist at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

Undergraduates:
Jeanette Calarco, PhD student University of South Florida --> postdoc at Florida Gulf Coast University
Rebecca Harripersaud
​MacKenzie Hebert, now a veterinary student at Louisiana State University
​Charné Hill, now a medical laboratory science student, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Univ.
​Chadwick Kaufman
Jeanette Miller, now a PhD student at Vanderbilt University
Brenden Scott, now a research assistant at San Diego Zoo

Lab photo December 2022

Late 2020