About
Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology
Population Geneticist in Houston, TX
Email: paulm AT genebygene DOT com
I am a professional Population Geneticist at a genetic genealogy company. I received my Ph.D. from the Bohonak lab at San Diego State University, and the Nunney lab at UC Riverside, where I was an ARCS scholar. I have regularly taught a lab course called Genetics and Evolution, an upper division survey of Mendelian genetics, population genetics, and current topics in evolutionary biology. During the academic year of 2016–2017 I served as President of the SDSU Natural History Club, a student-led group dedicated to educating the community about the flora and fauna of southern California, with seminars and field outings. In addition, I am long-time science adviser (and former director) of The Biodiversity Group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to “to achieve conservation by bringing together an international network of citizens, scientists, and photographers to gather and share data and images of overlooked species in underserved places.” Professionally, I have served as Biologist at the US Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center from 2010 until 2017, originally at the Yosemite Field Station, and recently at the San Diego Field Station. Currently, I serve as the Population Geneticist for FamilyTreeDNA and Gene by Gene.
In my free time, you can probably find me outside, scrambling up a mountain, or photographing a bug in the rain. I truly love the outdoors, wilderness, nature, and exploration. Whenever possible, I spend my time herping, hiking, running, cycling, playing drums or guitar, and flying airplanes (a newer hobby waiting for a steadier paycheck). Although I’m not really an artist, I love sharing some of the bizarre or cryptic critters that I encounter while doing fieldwork, which I usually do with macro photography. Check out the Photography section for some examples. Ultimately, I think many biologists are launched into science by their curiosity for the bizarre. For others, it’s compassion they feel when wildlife seems alien and yet strangely human. Whatever the initial draw, biologists inevitably get sucked into their disciplines, and very quickly stumble into the need for conservation. Very few places on earth are not under overt attack from the insatiable needs of humankind. Hence biologists find the need to build a conservation army, by instilling in other young scientists the same emotions that seduced them to love their particular chunk of nature. That’s why I believe art and photography can be powerful tools for bridging the gaps between science, conservation, and politics, and why you should check out and share my frog and bug photos!