Karen Sears, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)

Assistant Professor, School of Integrative Biology

Faculty Member, Institute for Genomic Biology


Karen is broadly interested in the developmental mechanisms driving morphologic diversification in mammals.  Karen began her career as a paleontologist with an interest in embryology, and earned her PhD from the University of Chicago’s Committee on Evolutionary Biology in 2003.  She then trained with Dr. Lee Niswander at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Colorado in developmental genetics.  Karen’s goal is to unite the study of paleontology, development and genetics to elucidate the processes shaping mammalian evolution.


Office: 465 Morrill Hall, Phone: 217.244.7855, Fax: 217.244.4465

Email: ksears at life.uiuc.edu

Merla Hubler, B.S.

Masters Candidate, School of Integrative Biology


Merla joined the lab in January of 2008, and decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in the lab after the completion of her BS in Spring of 2009.  Merla has studied the developmental mechanisms behind coracoid reduction in marsupials (Hubler, et. al., 2009) and is continuing this research by investigating the molecular controls of shoulder girdle formation in mammals.  Ultimately, Merla plans to pursue a career in biomedicine.


Office: 465A Morrill Hall, Phone: 217.244.7724, Fax: 217.244.4565

Ursula Sieklucki

Undergraduate, School of Integrative Biology


Ursula is a pre-vet student who joined the lab in January of 2008.  Building on her love of working with animals, Ursula helps to maintain the possum and mouse colonies for the lab.  Ursula is also working to characterize bat skeletal development.

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Carolyn Doroba

Undergraduate, School of Integrative Biology


Carolyn has a strong interest in evolutionary developmental biology, and plans to  continue in the field. In the lab, Carolyn has studied hind limb evolution in non-mammalian synapsids (Sears, Doroba, & Beck, 2008) and is currently studying development of the marsupial forelimb (Doroba and Sears, in review).

Alex Rockwell

Undergraduate, School of Integrative Biology


Alex is a pre-med who joined the lab in May of 2008.  In the lab, he has studied the ossification and growth of pig digits (as part of a project to establish the pig as a model for digit regeneration), and is currently investigating the mechanisms by which pigs have reduced their digits during their evolutionary history.

Lisa Powers, M.S.

Ph.D. Candidate, PEEC


Lisa is interested in the developmental mechanisms driving evolution of mammalian limbs.  She earned her M.S. studying fore limb biomechanics during bipedal walking from the University of Wisconsin.  Lisa’s dissertation centers on the evolution and development of bat limbs.


Office: 671 Morrill Hall, Phone: 217.244.7724, Fax: 217.244.4565

Principal Investigator

Senior Laboratory Members

Undergraduates

McKenna Kelly, B.S.

Masters Candidate, School of Integrative Biology


McKenna has a strong interest in both ecological and evolutionary biology, and plans to unite the fields in her MS research into the intrinsic (e.g., development) and extrinsic (e.g., function) controls of limb evolution in mammals.  This research is an extension of her undergraduate thesis, in which she studied the evolution of morphologic integration in mammalian limbs (Kelly and Sears, 2009).


Office: 465A Morrill Hall, Phone: 217.244.7724, Fax: 217.244.4565

Christine O’Connor

Undergraduate, School of Integrative Biology


Christine has experience in morphometrics through research with Charles Roseman (Anthropology). She joined the lab to expand her knowledge of evo-devo research, and is currently studying the molecular basis of hind limb development in marsupials.

Christina Bianchi

Undergraduate, School of Integrative Biology


Christina has a general interest in evolutionary biology. In the lab, Christina is studying integration in bat girdles and limbs using modern morphometric techniques.

Jarrad Marcell, B.S.

Masters Candidate, School of Integrative Biology



Jarrad joined the lab in Summer 2009, with a strong interest in biomedical research.  In the lab, Jarrad is helping to develop the pig dewclaw as a model for human digit regeneration.  Jarrad’s ultimate plans are to pursue his goal of a career in medicine.


Office: 465A Morrill Hall, Phone: 217.244.7724, Fax: 217.244.4565