Dr. Jason Kolbe
jjkolbe(at)uri.edu
Phone: 401.874.9731
Google Scholar Profile
I'm an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. My research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary responses of natural populations to recent, human-mediated global change, such as biological invasions, climate change, and urbanization. I take an integrative approach combining field and laboratory experiments, population genetic analyses, comparative analyses of phenotypic and ecological variation, and environmental niche modeling. Much of my research centers on how evolutionary processes facilitate or constrain the ability of alien species to invade non-native areas and whether we can accurately predict the future course of invasions. Another primary focus is understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics and contemporary evolution in natural populations. For this work we use islands in the Bahamas as experimental units. Recent research has focused on the ecological and evolutionary effects on hurricanes in Caribbean island systems. Most of my current research uses Anolis lizards, but I have a general interest in amphibians and reptiles and other organisms suitable for asking questions about global change and evolutionary ecology.
jjkolbe(at)uri.edu
Phone: 401.874.9731
Google Scholar Profile
I'm an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. My research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary responses of natural populations to recent, human-mediated global change, such as biological invasions, climate change, and urbanization. I take an integrative approach combining field and laboratory experiments, population genetic analyses, comparative analyses of phenotypic and ecological variation, and environmental niche modeling. Much of my research centers on how evolutionary processes facilitate or constrain the ability of alien species to invade non-native areas and whether we can accurately predict the future course of invasions. Another primary focus is understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics and contemporary evolution in natural populations. For this work we use islands in the Bahamas as experimental units. Recent research has focused on the ecological and evolutionary effects on hurricanes in Caribbean island systems. Most of my current research uses Anolis lizards, but I have a general interest in amphibians and reptiles and other organisms suitable for asking questions about global change and evolutionary ecology.
Current Lab Members
Dr. Dan Bock
dan.g.bock(at)gmail.com
Google Scholar
Research Gate
Dan is an NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) postdoctoral fellow in the Losos lab at Washington University in St. Louis and a collaborating postdoc with the Kolbe lab at URI. He is an evolutionary biologist interested in understanding mechanisms of biological invasion. For his research, Dan combines data from the field with common garden experiments and with cutting-edge genomics tools. He earned his Ph.D. with Loren Rieseberg at the University of British Columbia, where he investigated the evolutionary and genetic basis of invasiveness in a widespread perennial sunflower. For his postdoctoral project at Wash U and URI, Dan is exploiting knowledge on the invasion of Anolis sagrei in Florida. He is investigating the role of admixture in invasive spread, and identifying regions of the genome responsible for climate adaptation in this system.
dan.g.bock(at)gmail.com
Google Scholar
Research Gate
Dan is an NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) postdoctoral fellow in the Losos lab at Washington University in St. Louis and a collaborating postdoc with the Kolbe lab at URI. He is an evolutionary biologist interested in understanding mechanisms of biological invasion. For his research, Dan combines data from the field with common garden experiments and with cutting-edge genomics tools. He earned his Ph.D. with Loren Rieseberg at the University of British Columbia, where he investigated the evolutionary and genetic basis of invasiveness in a widespread perennial sunflower. For his postdoctoral project at Wash U and URI, Dan is exploiting knowledge on the invasion of Anolis sagrei in Florida. He is investigating the role of admixture in invasive spread, and identifying regions of the genome responsible for climate adaptation in this system.
Christina De Jesús Villanueva
christinadejesusvillanueva(at)gmail.com
Christina is a Ph.D. student in the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology Program at URI. She received her M.S. in Dr. Riccardo Papa's lab at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. Her thesis explored the invasion genetics of Green Iguanas, identifying the origins of introduced Puerto Rican populations. Christina is interested in invasion biology, population genetics, and conservation biology. Check out her Invasion Biology blog (here). Her dissertation research focuses on understanding the coupled human-environment interactions that link the economic and social aspects of the green iguana invasion in Puerto Rico with ecological effects.
christinadejesusvillanueva(at)gmail.com
Christina is a Ph.D. student in the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology Program at URI. She received her M.S. in Dr. Riccardo Papa's lab at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. Her thesis explored the invasion genetics of Green Iguanas, identifying the origins of introduced Puerto Rican populations. Christina is interested in invasion biology, population genetics, and conservation biology. Check out her Invasion Biology blog (here). Her dissertation research focuses on understanding the coupled human-environment interactions that link the economic and social aspects of the green iguana invasion in Puerto Rico with ecological effects.
Jessica Pita Aquino
jessicapitaaquino(at)gmail.com
Jessica is a M.S. student in the Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences program at URI. She graduated from University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, with a B.S. (’17) in Integrative Biology. She studied interactions between temperature, moisture, and hydration on two species of coquis (Eleutherodactylus coqui and E. portoricensis) in Dr. Patricia Burrowes’ lab, and pursued interests in the effects of environmental change. Her current research interests are focused on the evolution of dewlap in the brown anole invasion of Florida. Previously she participated in the Science and Engineering Fellows program at the University of Rhode Island in summer 2015 working on green anole hybridization.
jessicapitaaquino(at)gmail.com
Jessica is a M.S. student in the Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences program at URI. She graduated from University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, with a B.S. (’17) in Integrative Biology. She studied interactions between temperature, moisture, and hydration on two species of coquis (Eleutherodactylus coqui and E. portoricensis) in Dr. Patricia Burrowes’ lab, and pursued interests in the effects of environmental change. Her current research interests are focused on the evolution of dewlap in the brown anole invasion of Florida. Previously she participated in the Science and Engineering Fellows program at the University of Rhode Island in summer 2015 working on green anole hybridization.
Emma DiPaolo
emma_dipaolo(at)my.uri.edu
Emma is a Master's student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences program at URI, specializing in Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences. She graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2019, where she got her B.S. in Organismal Biology. Emma is interested in studying how organisms adapt to factors influenced by anthropogenic change, such as urbanization, climate change, and extreme weather events. While in the Kolbe Lab, she is planning to research how hurricanes influence anole evolution.
Tyler DeVos
tylerbdevos(at)gmail.com
Tyler is a M.S. student studying herpetological invasions in the Kolbe Lab at URI. She received her B.S. in Zoology (with a minor in Chemistry) from Northern Michigan University, where her research focused on variations in morphology, habitat use, and cutaneous bacterial communities among red-backed salamanders. Tyler has also worked with protected eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, green salamanders, and an assortment of southern U.S. snake species through field technician positions in Michigan and Alabama. She is especially interested in invasion biology and morphology, but has a passion for all things herpetological.
tylerbdevos(at)gmail.com
Tyler is a M.S. student studying herpetological invasions in the Kolbe Lab at URI. She received her B.S. in Zoology (with a minor in Chemistry) from Northern Michigan University, where her research focused on variations in morphology, habitat use, and cutaneous bacterial communities among red-backed salamanders. Tyler has also worked with protected eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, green salamanders, and an assortment of southern U.S. snake species through field technician positions in Michigan and Alabama. She is especially interested in invasion biology and morphology, but has a passion for all things herpetological.
