Gregory Thom

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Assistant Professor,  Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
Curator of Genetic Resources, Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science

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Main hobbies: aquascaping, birdwatching, and fishing.

Kristen Wacker, PhD (she/her) - Postdoc

Kristen is an evolutionary biologist and ornithologist who uses comparative approaches, genomics, and natural history collections to understand Neotropical bird biodiversity. For her PhD, she studied phylogeography and molecular evolution across the Andes-Amazonia elevational gradient. In the Thom lab, Kristen is working on two groups of Neotropical mixed-species flocking birds: 1) she is investigating genome evolution and the molecular underpinnings of obligate ant-following behavior in Thamnophilidae antbirds, and 2) as an NSF postdoctoral fellow, she is also studying the population genomics, phylogenomics, and signal evolution of Thraupinae tanagers.

 

Main hobbies: reading, movies, games, and exercising outdoors

Juliana Damasceno - Ph.D. Student​

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Juliana is a Biologist, with a master's degree in Zoology. Her previous studies were mainly focused on biogeography and speciation of Neotropical birds. In the Thom Lab,  she is developing projects that investigate the evolutionary underpinnings of the army-ant-following behavior in Neotropical birds with a focus in the genus Gymnopithys 

Luca Micheli - Ph.D. Student​

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Luca is an ornithologist interested in neotropical birds. His research experience involved the systematics, taxonomy, biogeography, evolutionary biology, and population genomics of South American birds. In Thom Lab, he aims to continue studying the speciation process of neotropical birds with novel genomic techniques.

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Main hobbies: Running, birdwatching, hiking and wild-life photography

Gustavo Martins - Ph.D. Student​

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Gustavo is an ornithologist fascinated by Neotropical birds, especially Amazonian species. He has experience in studies of natural history and community ecology. In the Thom Lab, his research explores how woodpeckers have adapted to myrmecophagy (ant-eating). He is investigating the physiological, genomic, and ecological mechanisms that underpin dietary specialization in ant-eating birds, focusing on species like Celeus flavus.

Main hobbies: Soccer, running, birdwatching.

Phoebe Gordon - Ph.D. Student​

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Phoebe is a naturalist, ornithologist, and evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the drivers of avian biodiversity in the Neotropics. She earned her bachelor's degree from Colorado College before starting her PhD in the Thom Lab, where she studies Neotropical parrots. Specifically, her work will investigate the genomic underpinnings and consequences of microendemism in parrots, as well as the phylogenomics of the genus Pionus. Phoebe is also passionate about education and outreach.

Hobbies: birding, drawing, making & appreciating music, games