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Download my January 2023 CV
Contact mdebiasse@ucmerced.edu melissa.debiasse@gmail.com Current Position Project Scientist, University of California Merced Supervisor: Michael N Dawson (August 2020 – present) http://mnd.ucmerced.edu Education PhD (2014) Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Advisor: Michael E. Hellberg Recipient of a Louisiana Board of Regents fellowship (2008-2012) MSc (2008) Marine Biology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL Advisor: Mahmood S. Shivji BSc (2003) Biology (minor in History), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN Research Experience Postdoctoral Scholar (2016-2020) Evolutionary genomics and phylogenomics in marine invertebrates. University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience. Supervisor: Joseph F. Ryan PostdoctoralScholar (2014-2016) Phenotypic and transcriptomic responses to biotic and abiotic stressors in marine invertebrates. Louisiana State University. Supervisor: Morgan W. Kelly Doctoral Student (2008-2014) Model-based tests of historical demography and species delimitation in a coral reef sponge genus. Louisiana State University Masters Student (2004-2008) Conservation genetics and phylogeography of marine invertebrates. National Coral Reef Institute and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University Graduate Internship (2003-2004). Acoustic monitoring of estuarine habitat use by juvenile sharks and effects of environmental pollutants on reproduction and development in elasmobranchs. Mote Marine Lab Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL. Advisors: Michelle R. Heupel and James J. Gelsleichter Publications (h-index: 15; *undergraduate student author; mentored student authors: 11) 26. Oritz J*, Bobkov YV, DeBiasse MB, Mitchell D, Edgar A, Martindale MQ, Moss AG, Hammar K, Babonis LS, Ryan JF (accepted) Independent innexin radiation shaped signaling in ctenophores. Molecular Biology and Evolution. *Undergraduate author. Preprint: biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.11.511657v1 25. DeBiasse MB, Stubler AS, Kelly MW (2022) Comparative transcriptomics reveals altered species interaction between the sponge Cliona varians and the coral Porites furcata under ocean acidification. Molecular Ecology 24. DeBiasse MB, Schiebelhut LM, Escalona M, Beraut E, Fairbairn C, Marimuthu M, Nguyen O, Sahasrabudhe R, Dawson MN (2022) A chromosome-level reference genome for the giant pink sea star, Pisaster brevispinus, a species severely impacted by wasting. Journal of Heredity 23. Paggeot LX, DeBiasse MB, Escalona M, Beraut E, Fairbairn C, Marimuthu M, Nguyen O, Sahasrabudhe R, Dawson MN (2022) Reference genome for the California ribbed mussel, Mytilus californianus, an ecosystem engineer. Journal of Heredity 22. Bernardi G, DeBiasse MB, Escalona M, Marimuthu M, Nguyen O, Sacco S, Beraut E, Miller C, Toffelmier C, Shaffer BH (2022) Reference genome of the California Sheephead, Semicossyphus pulcher (Labridae, Perciformes), a keystone fish predator in kelp forest ecosystems. Journal of Heredity 21. Ketchum RN, Smith EG, DeBiasse MB, Vaughan GO, McPharland D, Leach WB, Al-Mansoori N, Ryan JF, Burt JA, Reitzel AM (accepted) Population genomic analyses of the sea urchin Echinometra sp. EZ across an extreme environmental gradient. Genome Biology and Evolution 20. DeBiasse MB, Colgan W*, Harris L*, Davidson B, JF Ryan (2020) Inferring tunicate relationships and the evolution of the tunicate Hox cluster with the genome of Corella inflata. Genome Biology and Evolution. *Undergraduate author 19. Dardaillon J, Dauga D, Simion P, Onuma T, DeBiasse MB, Louis A, Naville M, Besnardeau L, Reeves W, Wang Kai, Fagotto M, Guéroult-Bellone M, Fujiwara S, Dumollard R, Veeman M, Volff J, Roest Crollius H, Douzery E, Ryan JF, Davidson B, NISHIDA, Dantec C, Lemaire P (2019) ANISEED 2019: 4D exploration of genetic data for an extended range of tunicates. Nucleic Acids Research 18. Colgan W*, Leanza A, Hwang A, DeBiasse MB, Llosa I*, Rodrigues D*, Adhikari H*, Barreto Corona G*, Bock S*, Carillo-Perez A*, Currie M*, Darkoa-Larbi S, Dellal D, Gutow H*, Hokama P*, Kibby E*, Linhart N*, Moody S*, Naganuma A*, Nguyen D, Stanton R*, Stark S, Tumey C*, Velleca A, Vu, N*, Ryan JF, Davidson B (2019) Variable levels of drift in tunicate cardiopharyngeal gene regulatory elements. EvoDevo, 10. *Undergraduate author 17. Pastrana CC*, DeBiasse MB, Ryan JF (2019) Sponges lack Parahox genes. Genome Biology and Evolution. *Undergraduate author 16. Richards VP, DeBiasse MB, Shivji MS (2019) Deep mitochondrial lineage divergence among populations of the southern stingray (Hypanus americana) throughout the Southeastern United States and Caribbean. Marine Biodiversity 15. DeBiasse MB, Ryan JF (2019) Phylotocol: promoting transparency and overcoming bias in phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 14. Ketchum R, DeBiasse MB, Ryan JF, Burt J, Reitzel A (2018) The complete mitochondrial genome of the sea urchin Echinometra sp. EZ. Mitochondrial DNA Part B: Resources 13. Babonis LS, DeBiasse MB, Francis WR, Christianson LM, Haddock SHD, Martindale MQ, Ryan JF (2018) Integrating embryonic development and evolutionary history to characterize tentacle-specific cell types in a ctenophore. Molecular Biology and Evolution 12. Rivest EB, Kelly MW, DeBiasse MB, Hofmann GE (2018) Host and symbionts in Pocillopora damicornis larvae display different transcriptomic responses to ocean acidification. Frontiers in Marine Science 11. DeBiasse MB, Kawji Y*, Kelly MW (2018) Parallel phenotypic and transcriptomic response to salinity stress across Tigriopus californicus populations separated by 1000 kilometers. Molecular Ecology. *Undergraduate author 10. Kelly MW, DeBiasse MB, Villela V*, Roberts H*, Cecola C* (2016) Adaptation to climate change: trade-offs among responses to multiple stressors. Evolutionary Applications. *Undergraduate author 9. Kelly MW, Pankey MS, DeBiasse MB, Plachetzki DC (2016) Adaptation to heat stress reduces phenotypic and gene expression plasticity in a marine copepod. Functional Ecology 8. DeBiasse MB, Richards VP, Shivji MS, Hellberg MH (2016) Shared phylogeographic breaks in a Caribbean coral reef sponge and its invertebrate commensals. Journal of Biogeography 7. Brzeski KE, DeBiasse MB, Rabon Jr. DR, Chamberlain MJ, Taylor SS (2016) Mitochondrial DNA variation in Southeastern pre-Columbian canids. Journal of Heredity 6. DeBiasse MB, Kelly MW (2016) Plastic and adaptive responses to global change: what can we learn from comparative transcriptomics? Journal of Heredity 5. DeBiasse MB, Hellberg MH (2015) Discordance between morphological and molecular species boundaries among Caribbean species of the reef sponge Callyspongia. Ecology and Evolution 4. Richards VP, DeBiasse MB, Shivji MS (2015) Genetic evidence supports larval retention in the Western Caribbean for an invertebrate with high dispersal capability (Ophiothrix suensonii: Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea). Coral Reefs 3. Prada C, DeBiasse MB, Neigel JE, Yedock B, Stake J, Forsman ZH, Baums IB, Hellberg ME (2014) Genetic species delineation among branching Caribbean Porites corals. Coral Reefs 2. DeBiasse MB, Nelson BJ, Hellberg ME (2014). Evaluating summary statistics used to test for incomplete lineage sorting: mito-nuclear discordance in the reef sponge Callyspongia vaginalis. Molecular Ecology 1. DeBiasse MB, Richards VP, Shivji MS (2010) Genetic assessment of connectivity in the common reef sponge, Callyspongia vaginalis (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) reveals high population structure along the Florida reef tract. Coral Reefs Coming soon... DeBiasse MB, Buckenmeyer A*, Macrander J, Babonis LS, Bentlage B, Cartwright P, Prada C, Reitzel AM, Stampar SN, Collins AG, Daly M, Ryan JF (in revision) Illuminating the Cnidaria tree of life with a phylogenomic backbone fitted with hundreds of 18S leaves. Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists. *Undergraduate author DeBiasse MB, Schiebelhut LM, Dawson MN (in prep) Comparative genomics of sea star wasting across the asteroid tree using chromosome-level assemblies Hernandez AM, DeBiasse MB, Dykes LL, Edgar A, Hayes DT, Grosso DJ, Babonis LS, Martindale MQ, Ryan JF (in prep) The genome of a ctenophore-eating ctenophore reveals evolutionary genomic and transcriptomic dynamics within Ctenophora Stampar SN, Maronna MM, Kitahara MV, Lopes CSS, Santos TB, Reimer JD, Gameiro EM, Yap NWL, Neo ML, Sumida PY, Klompen AML, Macrander J, Reitzel AM, DeBiasse MB, Ryan JF, Daly M, Broe M, Morandini AC, Migotto AE (in prep) Evolution in Ceriantharia (Cnidaria): life cycle plasticity blurs traditional systematics in cerianthids Grants and Awards 2021-2024 National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, Biological Oceanography. Collaborative Research: Understanding bioerosion from individuals to ecosystems: the impacts of biotic and abiotic stressors on sponge erosion of oyster reefs. Award number 2048449. $530,000 [$218,900 to co-PI DeBiasse] 2014 American Genetics Association Ecological Genomics Symposium Travel Award $500 2013, 2014 Molecular Ecology Best Reviewer 2013 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Short Term Fellowship, “The effects of climate change and species interaction on calcification in the reef building coral Porites furcata,” $2,400 2013 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research Award, National Chapter, $500 2012 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research Award, Louisiana State University Chapter, $500 2012 Lerner Gray Grant for Marine Research, $1,990 2010 Best Oral Presentation, Louisiana State University Biology Graduate Student Symposium 2009 Research Award, Louisiana State University Biology Graduate Student Association, $600 2008-2012 Louisiana Board of Regents Fellowship $80,000 Teaching Experience Lead Instructor, 2022 LSU Bioinformatics Workshop (July 18-22) Louisiana State University Topic: 5-day workshop covering application of genomic and transcriptomic data to biology and ecology, high throughput sequencing, high performance computing, command line navigation and basic R scripting Lead Instructor, Comparative Genomics (Fall 2021) Dawson Lab, University of California Merced Topic: 15-session, hands-on workshop covering high throughput sequencing, high performance computing, genome assembly and comparative analyses of chromosome-level genomes Guest Lecturer, Biology for non-majors (Spring 2019) Dept. of Biology, Flagler College Topic: species concepts and speciation Guest Lecturer, Evolution (Spring 2016) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Topic: species and speciation Guest Lecturer, Evolution (Fall 2015) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Topic: molecular phylogenetics and evolution Guest Lecturer, Evolution (Spring 2015) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Topic: molecular methods of species delimitation. Guest Lecturer, Evolution (Spring 2014) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Topic: species and speciation Teaching Assistant, Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory (Fall 2013) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University. Lead laboratories involving observation of live invertebrates. Organized an outreach event at a local elementary school Teaching Assistant, Introductory Biology Laboratory (Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014) Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University. Lead laboratories covering topics ranging from photosynthesis and respiration to evolution and biodiversity Teaching Assistant, Genetics Laboratory (Fall 2005-Spring 2008) Division of Math, Science, and Technology, Nova Southeastern University. Lead laboratories covering topics ranging from DNA extraction and sequencing to bioinformatics and phylogenetic methods Students Mentored 2020- Bailey Carlson Graduate Student UC Merced 2020- Karly Higgins-Poling Graduate Student UC Merced 2020- Non Wutthituntisil Graduate Student UC Merced 2020- Lisa Paggeot Graduate Student UC Merced 2019 Jennifer Ortiz Undergraduate Iowa State University/REU 2018 Telissa Wilson Graduate Student The Evergreen State College 2018 Remi Ketchum Graduate Student UNC Charlotte 2018 Ariane Buckenmeyer Undergraduate Connecticut College/REU 2017 Michelle McGurr High School teacher Darnell-Cookman High School 2017 Aaron Szczepanek Post-baccalaureate UF Whitney Laboratory 2017 Claudia Cabrera Undergraduate University of Miami/REU 2017 Logan Campbell Undergraduate University of Tennessee/REU 2016-2020 Alexandra Hernandez Graduate Student UF Whitney Laboratory 2016-2020 Jessica Whelpley Graduate Student UF Whitney Laboratory 2015-2016 Daniel Liu Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2015-2016 Colleen Cecola Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2015-2016 Vidal Villela Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2015-2016 Hope Roberts Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2014-2016 Will Murdock Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2014 Byanjana Thapa Undergraduate Fairleigh Dickenson/HHMI 2014 Brandon Lawson Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2014 Elliot Wheeler Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2013-2015 Chelsea Wallace High School LSU EnvironMentors 2013 Jamie Gay Undergraduate University of Colorado/STRI 2013 Sarah White Undergraduate University of Colorado/STRI 2010 Catalina Restrepo Undergraduate Louisiana State University 2010 Maria Costantini Undergraduate Rowan University/HHMI 2010 Maxine Tan Undergraduate Eckerd College/HHMI Invited Seminars Eroding sponges and wasting sea stars: unifying ecological and evolutionary timescales using genomics. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, May 2022 Eroding sponges and wasting sea stars: unifying ecological and evolutionary timescales using genomics. University of Texas Marine Science Institute, March 2022 Boring sponges and glowing ctenophores: genomes reveal how marine invertebrates respond to their environment over minutes and millions of years. University of Alabama, March 2020. Watch my presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgn5CcBoLEc Boring sponges and glowing ctenophores: using genomes to understand how marine invertebrates respond to their environment within minutes & over millions of years. Occidental College Biology Department Seminar Series, April 2019 Phylotocol presented as part of the Data Standards and Community Resources Forum, Society of Systematic Biologist Meeting, Columbus, OH, June 2018 What to do with a billion years of evolution. Species Tree Estimation Workshop, Society of Systematic Biologists Meeting, Columbus, OH, June 2018 Detecting convergent sequence evolution using parametric bootstrapping. NGS Polar Organism Workshop, SICB, San Francisco, CA, January 2018 Adaptation to the deep sea in ctenophores, the comb jellies. Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, FL, November 2017 Model-based tests of historical demography and species boundaries in the reef sponge Callyspongia. Department of Biology, University of Florida, April 2017 DEEPC: The deep, dark genomic secrets of ctenophores. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, April 2017 Patterns of genomic and phenotypic variation over evolutionary and ecological timescales in marine invertebrates. Department of Biology, University of North Florida, November 2015 Patterns of genomic and phenotypic variation over evolutionary and ecological timescales in marine invertebrates. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology Seminar Series, The Ohio State University, October 2015 Genomic basis of salinity tolerance in Tigriopus copepods. Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science Seminar Series, Louisiana State University, September 2015 Using transcriptomic data to test biotic and abiotic interactions in marine invertebrates. Keynote speaker for Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, Louisiana State University, July 2015. Watch my presentation here: http://bit.ly/1GFNcBY Conference Presentations DeBiasse MB, Olson C, Pfitzer Price A, Samaniego L, Kelly MW, Stubler AS (2023) The impacts of biotic & abiotic stressors on sponge bioerosion. Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology, Austin, TX DeBiasse MB, Scheibelhut LM, Dawson MN (2022) Genomic associations with wasting syndromes in sea starts: a comparative approach. Regional meeting of the Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC DeBiasse MB, Colgan W, Harris L, Davidson B, Ryan JF (2019) The Corella inflata genome: reconstructing the ancestral enterogonid tunicate. Evolution, Providence, Rhode Island DeBiasse MB, Babonis L, Schnitzler C, Koren S, Martindale MQ, Ryan JF (2019) The complete genome sequence of Beroe ovata, a tentacle-less, ctenophore-chomping ctenophore. Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL DeBiasse MB, Francis W, Thuesen E, Haddock S, Ryan J (2018) DEEPC: adaptation to depth in ctenophores. Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology, San Francisco, CA DeBiasse MB, Francis W, Thuesen E, Haddock S, Ryan J (2017) DEEPC: The deep, dark genomic secrets of ctenophores. BioGenomics, Washington, DC DeBiasse MB, Stubler AS, Kelly MW (2017) Testing the effect of ocean acidification on a sponge-coral species interaction. Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology, New Orleans, LA DeBiasse MB, Kelly, MW (2016) Intraspecific variation in phenotypic and transcriptomic plasticity in Tigriopus californicus in response to salinity stress. Evolution, Austin, Texas DeBiasse MB, Hellberg ME (2015) Discordance between morphological and molecular species boundaries in the sponge genus Callyspongia. Society for Systematic Biologists Meeting, Ann Arbor, Michigan DeBiasse MB, Kelly MW (2014) The genomic basis of adaptation to salinity in the tide pool copepod Tigriopus californicus. American Genetics Association Ecological Genomics Symposium, Kansas City, Missouri DeBiasse MB, Hellberg ME (2012) Mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences show conflicting patterns of genetic structure in the coral reef sponge Callyspongia vaginalis. Evolution, Ottawa, Canada DeBiasse MB, Hellberg ME (2010) Mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences show conflicting patterns of divergence among putative cryptic species in the marine sponge Callyspongia vaginalis. World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain DeBiasse MB, Richards VP, Shivji MS (2008) Genetic connectivity in the branching vase sponge (Callyspongia vaginalis) across the Florida reef tract and Caribbean. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida DeBiasse MB, Richards VP, Shivji MS (2007) Genetic assessment of connectivity among populations of the branching vase sponge (Callyspongia vaginalis) in the Florida reef tract reveals a strong phylogeographic break at the Middle Keys. Florida Ecology and Evolution Symposium, Lake Placid, Florida Field Work March 2022 Wilmington, NC. Collected sponge-infested oyster shells, nudibranchs, and gastropods for manipulative experiments testing sponge response to predation December 2016 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute research cruise on the RV Western Flyer. Assisted in the collection of pelagic invertebrates using blue water diving, mid-water trawls, and the ROV Doc Ricketts June-August 2013 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Performed long-term experiments to test the effect of ocean acidification on a sponge/coral species interaction. Project included sample collection and construction and maintenance of 180 mesocosm tanks May 2007 Dry Tortugas National Park. Organized and led a 7-day dive trip to sample sponges and brittle stars for phylogeography research May 2006 Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras. Organized a 7-day dive trip to collect sponge and coral samples for phylogeography research March 2006 Crooked Island, Bahamas. Organized a five-day dive trip to collect coral reef invertebrate samples for phylogeography research December 2003 Tampa, Florida. Participated in five-day research cruise for a mark-recapture project focusing on sharks from the Gulf of Mexico Invited Courses Evolutionary Genomics of Non-Model Species: Next Generation Sequencing, Data Management, and Hypothesis Testing. Sponsored by the American Genetics Association. Irapuato, Mexico, 2011 NSF AToL: Taxonomy, Systematics, and Ecology of Sponges. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro, Panama, 2010 Service Awards Committee, Society of Systematic Biologists, 2019-present Ad hoc reviewer for NSF Division of Environmental Biology, 2016, 2020, 2023 Reviewer for Society of Systematic Biologists graduate student grant proposals, 2018-2019 Whitney Research Seminar coordinator, 2017-2019 Darwin Week outreach at local elementary and high schools, Northeastern FL, 2017-2019 Instructor for biotechnology lab outreach, Pedro Menendez High School, St. Augustine, FL, 2017-2019 Contributor to The Molecular Ecologist blog, 2014-2016 Founder of LSU Women in Science organization, 2014 Mentor for Louisiana State University Chapter of EnvironMentors, 2012-2015 Mentor for undergraduate Howard Hughes Medical Institute interns, Summers 2009, 2014 Mentor for LSU Upward Bound, Spring 2014 Graduate Student Rep for LSU Computational Biology faculty position search committee, 2014 Graduate Student Rep for LSU Aquatic Ecology faculty position search committee, 2013 Exhibitor for Louisiana State Sea Grant program Ocean Commotion, 2008-2016 Reviewer for Nature Climate Change, Molecular Ecology, Evolution, Systematic Biology, Genome Biology and Evolution, Heredity, BMC Evolutionary Biology, BMC Genomics, Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal of Biogeography, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Coral Reefs, Marine Biology, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Aquatic Biology, PLOS ONE, Peer J, Scientific Reports, Biodiversity and Conservation |
