Weiming Li

Principle Investigator, FEJ Fry Chair of Environmental Physiology

I am a professor jointly appointed in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Physiology. I'm also a faculty member for the Neuroscience Program and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program. Graduate students advised by me have options to pursue advanced degrees in any of the above mentioned departments and programs.

Yu-Wen Chung-Davidson

Associate Professor

I am from a small city in Taiwan. My interest in biology started from free exploration in the countryside during my childhood. I was fascinated by the life cycle changes of frog eggs I brought home from a stream, as they developed into full-grown frogs, and was extremely happy when I tasted the first guava fruit from a tree I planted as a seedling. I was drawn to biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology when I was in college, but later became more interested in neuroscience and how the brain works. My doctoral research was in behavioral neuroendocrinology, and my postdoctoral work was interdisciplinary. I am currently interested in using genome-editing techniques and single-cell RNA-seq to determine the mechanisms of sex determination and sexual differentiation in sea lamprey. I am very fond of hands-on experiments. There is nothing more exciting than to make or witness a scientific discovery first-hand.

Tyler Buchinger

Assistant Professor

I received a B.S. in Biology from Lake Superior State University in 2009, M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University in 2012, and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior from Michigan State University in 2015. I am broadly interested in evolutionary biology, with particular focus on animal behavior and reproduction. My research uses various techniques ranging from chemistry and physiology to behavioral assays and phylogenetic comparisons. Together with others in the lab, I have recently started to incorporate gene editing techniques to help elucidate the genomic basis of behavior and reproduction and currently oversee our new facility for fish genome editing.

Anne Scott

Assistant Professor

I received a B.S. in Zoology and Chemistry from Northern Michigan University in 2010 and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior from Michigan State University in 2018.  I am interested in behavioral ecology, chemical communication, electrophysiology, olfaction, and invasive species management.  My research focuses on the chemical ecology of sea lamprey.  I am interested in characterizing novel pheromone components and identifying antagonists that disrupt olfactory and behavioral responses to pheromones to inform potential invasive sea lamprey control strategies.  I am also interested in understanding how parasitic sea lamprey use chemical cues to identify and select host fishes.
Sreeja Sarasamma
Postdoctoral Research Associate
I was born and raised in Kerala, India and received my PhD in Biotechnology from Taiwan and my research was focused on neurobehavioral impairments and oxidative stress in brain caused by nanoparticle modeled in zebrafish. My current research focus is the use of CRISPR-based functional genomic tools to study lamprey development which involves knockouts of genomic protein coding sequences. This approach has been useful for studying gene function during embryogenesis and identifies gene relationships within developmental GRNs. I combine functional genomics CRISPR screens, cell biology, and biochemistry to answer current research questions. Before coming to MSU, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Baylor College of Medicine, where I worked with Dr. James Orengo on a neurodegenerative project using zebrafish as a model system, and at Texas A&M University, where I worked with Dr. Alvin Yeh and made a zebrafish model with CRISPR/Cas9 to specifically label regulatory elements involved in target gene expression in the mid/hind brain boundary region.

Jiahao Song

PhD Student

I’m a first-year Ph.D student from China. I got my Master degree from Xiamen University, majoring in marine biology. My previous research direction was about the migration and population structure of green turtle populations in China, which cultivated my strong interest to animal behavior and molecular biology. What I want to do during my Ph.D stage is to explore the molecular mechanisms of sea lamprey behaviors. Now I am expanding my basic skills and background knowledge positively, concentrating on genetics and statistics study.
Hannah Gill
Master's Student
I am currently pursuing my master's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. My research seeks to understand if cisco, Coregonus artedi, use imprinted odor cues and/or conspecific odors to locate spawning aggregations.  For this project I conduct behavioral experiments on adult cisco to evaluate their response these different odors. I received my bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Field Biology from Ohio Northern University. Previously, I have participated in a variety of exciting research projects, including surveying fish communities in the Ohio River, studying techniques for cryopreserving blue catfish sperm, and assisting with field surveys for lake sturgeon.

Kristen Lounsbury

Lab Manager & Master's Student

I received my B.S. in Environmental Biology and Zoology from Michigan State University, where I worked in a lab studying African weakly electric fish. I then joined the Li lab as a summer field technician conducting behavioral trials with adult sea lamprey in northern Michigan. Since then, I've spent time sampling large river fish communities and surveying for invasive silver carp on the Illinois and Wabash Rivers. I now manage the day-to-day operations of the Li lab's lamprey and zebrafish facilities. My research interests include freshwater ecology, reproductive behavior, and genetics. In my free time, you can find me hiking, fishing, or reading a good book.
Priyanshi Ajmera
Post-bachelorette Research Assistant
I earned my bachelor's degree in Zoology with a focus in Marine Biology and Animal Behavior & Neurobiology. My interests lie in pursuing research on the implications of climate change on marine fish physiology and coral reef ecosystems. Beyond academics, my hobbies include photography, crocheting, and reading!

Lili Hagg

Postdoctoral Research Associate

I received a B.A. in Anthropology from Beloit College in 2019 and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota in 2025. My research interests lie in behavioral ecology, with a particular focus on sexual selection and signaling. My current work examines female pheromone preferences in sea lamprey.​
Sam Champer
Postdoctoral Research Associate
​The focus of my research is on creating population models that are highly reflective of the real world and using these models as in-silico laboratories to experiment with different interventions to prevent the spread of invasive species and human disease vectors. Among intervention strategies, the one that my work focuses on the most is the budding field of gene drive, which may allow invasive populations to be removed in contexts where other strategies fall short.

Adrián López-Porras​

Postdoctoral Research Associate

​​I received my DVM from the National University of Costa Rica, an MSc in Bacterial Fish Diseases from Mississippi State University, and a PhD in Comparative Immunology from the University of Oslo. My research examines comparative immune regulation in zebrafish, focusing on pathways that shape tissue function and disease outcomes. In parallel, I investigate sex determination and gonadal development in sea lamprey and zebrafish. To address these questions, I combine functional genomics with CRISPR-based gene perturbation, transgenic reporter lines, and imaging to map when and where key pathways act in vivo.
Yaqoub Almbayidh
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​I am currently an undergraduate student majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife with concentrations in Fisheries Biology and Conservation Biology, and a minor in Marine Biology. My interests lie in pursuing research on marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on shark biology and coral reef systems. I am especially interested in understanding how environmental change and human impacts influence sharks and coral reef health. Beyond academics, my hobbies include SCUBA diving and traveling.

Past Lab Members:

Jake Kimmel, M.S. and B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University
Sonam Tamrakar, Postdoc.
Skye D. Fissette, Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University
Zhe Zhang, Ph.D. from Shanghai Ocean University, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences.
Belinda Huerta, Ph.D. in Analytical/Environmental Chemistry from the University of Girona (Spain), M.S. in Inland Water Quality Assessment and B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain).
​Ke Li, Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry/Pharmacology from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
Ugo Bussy, Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Nantes, France.
Mar Huertas, Ph.D. in Animal Biology, Master of Animal Biology (DEA), Master of Experimental Biology, and Bachelor of Biology (Organism and systems) from University of Barcelona
Erin J. Walaszczyk, Ph.D. in Fisheries & Wildlife and EEBB from Michigan State University, B.S. in Zoology and Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University
Cory O. Brant, Ph.D. and M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.S. in Biology from University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
Mara B. Bryan, Ph.D. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.A. in Biology from Rice University (Houston, Texas)
Steven Chang, Ph.D. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, M.S. in Biological Science from University of Windsor (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
David A. Close, Ph.D. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, M.S. in Fisheries Science from Oregon State University, B.S. in Fisheries Resources from University of Idaho
​Shuang Fan, M.S. in Chemistry from Michigan State University, B.S. from Peking University, China
​Nicholas S. Johnson, Ph.D. and M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.S. in Fisheries/Limnology and Biology from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Kaben G. Nanlohy, B.A. in Mathematics from Reed College
Christopher B. Rees, M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.S. from B.Sc. College of Misericordia Dallas
​Valencia Rilington, M.S. and B.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State University
Michael J. Siefkes, Ph.D. and M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.S. in Water Resources from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Shikha Singh, Ph.D. and M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University, B.S. in Biology from University of Western Ontario, Canada
Steph Saloka, B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science from Michigan State University
Huiyong Wang, Ph.D. in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry from University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL and B.S. in Chemistry from Shandong Normal University, China
​Andrew Wildbill, M.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University
Hong Wu, M.D. from Medical College of Qing Dao University, Master of Science from Qing Dao University, China
Xiaodan Xi, Ph.D. from Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, M.S. and B.S. from Northeast Normal University, China
​Chu-Yin Yeh, M.S. and Ph.D. in Physiology, B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University
Bradley A. Young, Ph. D. from South Dakota State University, M.S. and B.S. from Michigan Technological University
​Shinya Yuge, Ph.D. and M.S. in Bioscience, Dept. of Science from University of Tokyo, Japan, and B.S. in Biology, School of Education from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
​Sang-Seon Yun, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from University of London-Royal Holloway, M.S. in Oceanography and B.S. in Biological Oceanography from Seoul National University, South Korea
​Ziping Zhang, Ph.D. from University of Hong Kong, M.S. from Xiamen University, B.S. from Jinan University, China
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