Madeline Eppley
They/Them
I am queer and I am an evolutionary biologist and marine scientist.//
I’m currently pursing a PhD in Marine and Environmental Science at Northeastern University in the Lotterhos Lab. For my PhD, I am studying the evolution of wild eastern oyster populations over space and time by integrating insights from population genomics approaches, environmental data, disease data, and historic museum DNA.
My research started as an undergraduate at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, where I was an intern in the natural history collection and developed an interest in studying evolution. For my senior thesis, I investigated the prevalence of shark and swordfish meat substitutions in New England markets.
Outside of research, I am passionate about science communication, mentorship, and outreach to K-12 students. I am also working to re-define DEI initiatives with the aim of increasing belongingness of marginalized groups in ecology, evolution, and marine science fields. To this end, I have developed resources for the LGBTQ+ community and for navigating the graduate school application process.