The Edgar Lab at the New Jersey Institute of Technology studies the evolution of animal development, reproduction, and regeneration

People

Dr. Allison Edgar

Principal Investigator

I am an organismal biologist who integrates development, evolution, and ecology to study the life histories of invertebrate animals. I am interested in the strategies that animals use to develop, grow, mature, reproduce, and (sometimes) regenerate. Particularly, I am interested in how some of the earliest-branching animals’ ability to reproduce and regenerate are influenced by environmental factors, and how their gene expression is regulated to produce these outcomes.

Orianna Duh

Technician

As a lab technician in the Edgar lab, I am excited to discover new information about ctenophore development and life cycles, as well as development in general and how evolution influences development and vice versa. Similarly, getting to work with women in STEM in a woman-run lab is an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to share our findings with both the scientific and local communities.

Yinghui Wang

PhD Student

I am a PhD student in the Edgar lab with a passion for evolution and development of marine invertebrates (especially the squishy ones). Currently, I am studying the morphological changes from cydippid to lobate body plan in Mnemiopsis leidyi and the potential behavioral changes accompanying it.

Iman Elsherif

Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a third-year student in NJIT’s Department of Biological Sciences, working on a BA in biology, with a minor in literature. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career as a veterinarian.

Jovita Joseph

Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a first-year undergraduate biology student in the NJIT Albert Dorman Honors College.
Some of my hobbies include crocheting, puzzling, and hanging out with friends.

Magy Hanna

Undergraduate Research Assistant

I’m a first year biology BA major at NJIT in the Albert Dorman Honors College, minoring in psychology. After graduating, I plan to pursue a career in the healthcare field.

Marianne Doss

Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a third-year honors biology student with a minor in psychology. My plan is to pursue a career in medicine and I currently work as a medical scribe and serve as a hospital volunteer. I love listening to music, playing piano and flute, and learning about forensic cases.