People
Principal Investigator
Igor Schneider
Principal Investigator
Ph.D., University of Iowa, USA
email: igors@lsu.edu
My interests span limb and fin EvoDevo and the evolution of regeneration. What excites me most is the chance to study development across many different species and, through that comparison, gain a deeper understanding of how complex processes, like regeneration, have evolved.
Outside the lab, I enjoy playing soccer, picking up my guitar, and maintaining a love–hate relationship with running.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Josane Sousa
Ph.D., University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
I am a biologist with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. My work has focused on understanding the molecular pathways involved in the alterations of cell identity and plasticity in the contexts of pre-malignant and malignant lesions and tissue regeneration. Currently I am interested in studying the molecular circuitry of cell signaling pathways and the gene regulatory network activated during complex structure regeneration. For this, I am working on the characterization of fin regeneration in highly regenerative fish species such as the axolotl, the West African lungfish and the Senegal bichir.
Ph.D. Candidates
Gabriela Lima
M.S., Universidade Federal do Para, Brazil
I have always been fascinated by evolution, development, and regeneration of the vertebrate appendages. I have a master’s degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology. I am currently interested in understanding the evolution of molecular mechanisms of regeneration in vertebrates, using the Senegal bichir as my study organism.
Cloe Flanagan
I am studying heart regeneration in the fish species Polypterus senegalus. I’m interested in the conservation of genomic regions present in organisms with regenerative abilities but lost in organisms without regenerative abilities.
Post-bacc scholars
Madison Adams
I previously contributed to axolotl conservation by developing 3D-printed devices for sperm cryopreservation. Currently, as a post-baccalaureate researcher, I study the genetic and molecular basis of fin regeneration in Senegal bichir and lungfish, focusing on the role of duplicated myoglobin genes expressed in skin to explore a potential oxygen-dependent mechanism supporting regeneration.
Undergraduate Researchers
Cyrus Bronson
I am an undergraduate student majoring in Biochemistry with a passion for understanding molecular mechanisms, like the mTOR pathway, and how its control of growth and metabolism shapes regeneration across species, especially within zebrafish, axolotl, and Polypterus. I’m fascinated by how biochemical precision: every reaction, every regulatory switch- contributes to complex biological outcomes. My focus combines molecular evolution and regenerative biology to explore how ancient pathways continue to influence modern life.
Leah Bartholomew
Icyss Sargeant
Garrison Boehl
Michaela Tsanova
Alana Williams
Past members
Hannah Schof
Miles Casey-Flores
Zamira Andrews