Current Lab Members

Terence D. Capellini

tcapellini@fas.harvard.edu

Principal Investigator

Chair of Human Evolutionary Biology

Associate Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Clarissa Coveney

clarissa_coveney@fas.harvard.edu

Post-doctoral Fellow

I am interested in knee osteoarthritis, skeletal biology, and the effects of obseity and diet on the development and health of the human body

Gayani Senevirathne

msenevirathne@fas.harvard.edu

Post-doctoral Fellow

I am interesting in the genetics of human girdle development and evolution

Dylan Sosa

dsosa@fas.harvard.edu

Post-doctoral Fellow

Dylan studies regulatory and functional DNA variation modulating development of the human musculoskeletal system, particularly postcranial joints. Through the integration of comparative, computational, and functional genomics, Dylan aims to identify...

Shanen Ganapathee

sganapathee@g.harvard.edu

Graduate Student

I am interested in exploring how molecular and cellular differences between humans and our closest relatives shape the evolution of the brain and risk of disease, with a focus on non-neuronal cell types such as microglia.

Nina St. Hillaire

nsthillaire@g.harvard.edu

Graduate Student

Nina studies the developmental genetics and morphology of the primate pectoral girdle.

Sydney Lee

sydneylee@g.harvard.edu

Graduate Student

I am interested in the evolution, development, and functional morphology of the vertebral column and how differences in its structure shape human musculoskeletal health.

Nicole Merullo

nmer@bu.edu

Visiting Research Fellow

My dissertation explores the evolution of the human cardiovascular system. Specifically, I am looking at how areas of the genome in the developing kidney have potentially experienced natural selection and influence blood volume regulation.

Marta Amani

marta_amani@college.harvard.edu

Undergraduate

I am interested in understanding how archaic introgressed variants inherited by modern humans affect gene expression, shape phenotypic traits, and contribute to disease risk.

Seiji Aoki

seijiaoki@college.harvard.edu

Undergraduate

Seiji studies Medical Anthropology and Integrative Biology. He is currently investigating the developmental physiology and genetics of the musculoskeletal system.

Anika Christensen

anikachristensen@college.harvard.edu

Undergraduate

Anika has assisted on projects investigating the evolutionary and developmental genetics of the musculoskeletal system. Her bachelor's thesis investigates the effect of climate change on modern day plague outbreaks through an evolutionary genetics lens.

Devan Kaushik

drkaushik10@gmail.com

I am interested in how organisms allocate energy toward necessary processes throughout development, and specifically, insulin's role in doing so.

Jenna Shoman

jennashoman@college.harvard.edu

Undergraduate

I’m interested in how genetics, development, and environment interact to shape human biology. I’m especially curious about how small changes in gene regulation influence traits, disease risk, and the way different tissues grow over time. I enjoy working...

Mahham Fayyaz

mahham_fayyaz@fas.harvard.edu

Research Group Coordinator

Mahham provides administrative support across daily lab operations, purchasing, financial transactions, travel and expense processing, website maintenance, and general lab assistance.