Are you interested in joining our research group? Check out our research interests and send an email to Aaron about opportunities.
Current group members
Aaron Ragsdale, Assistant Professor
I joined the Department of Integrative Biology at UW-Madison in Fall 2021.
I am interested in the evolutionary and historical processes that shape
molecular and organismal variation (see our research interests in the lab).
Prior to Wisconsin, I was a postdoc with both
Simon Gravel and
Andres Moreno, and was a graduate student with
Ryan Gutenkunst at the University of Arizona.
Email: apragsdale@wisc.edu
Gustavo Barosso, Postdoctoral Researcher
I want to understand how population-level processes interact with
molecular-level processes to shape patterns of genetic and phenotypic
variation. To this end, I develop probabilistic models based on population
genetics theory and apply them to both simulated and empirical datasets from
a variety of species. My long-term goal is to build more realistic models of
nature.
Email: valadaresbar@wisc.edu
Nathan Anderson, Graduate Student
I am interested in the genomic response to selection. My research focuses on
developing Diffusion models for complex selective pressures such as
quantitative traits in changing environments, and background selection. Before
joining UW-Madison, I received my undergraduate in applied mathematics at Texas
A&M University and researched phylogenetic methods under Heath Blackmon.
Email: nathan.wally.anderson@gmail.com
Lloyd Kirk, Graduate Student
I am a computer enthusiast and an avid learner of statistical and population
genetics theory, with particular interests in structural variation and its
fitness effects. I’m currently working on methods for computing two-locus
statistics from tree sequences. Before joining the lab, I was working in the
clinical genetics testing industry. I did my bachelor’s in Plant Sciences and
MCD Biology at UC Santa Cruz. In my free time, I enjoy biking, cooking, and
nerding out. You can find some of my work (and harebrained ideas) on my
github.
Email: lkirk2@wisc.edu
Santiago Medina, Joint graduate student with the
Andrés Moreno Lab
at LANGEBIO-Cinvestav.
I am a computational biologist. I received my bachelor’s in agro-genomic
sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). I am
passionate about evolutionary genetics, and my research centers on
understanding how demographic history shapes genetic diversity in Native
American populations. I love learning mathematics, mainly probability theory.
Outside research, I enjoy meeting with friends, hiking, and practicing
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Nick Collier, postbaccalaureate researcher
I am interested in population genetics and systematics. I want to learn how evolutionary processes give rise to biological diversity at and above the population level. I received a bachelor’s degree in evolutionary biology from UW-Madison in spring 2024.
Past members
Nithya Atla, Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2024)
Renee Li, Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2021-Spring 2024)
Vasudha Khanna, Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2021-Summer 2023)
Linda Zeng, Undergraduate Researcher (Fall 2021-Spring 2023)
Jake Hamburg, Undergraduate Researcher (Spring 2022)