Fall 2023 Miller Lab
Christine W. Miller cwmiller@ufl.edu
Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida. She earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Organismal Biology and Ecology from the University of Montana in 2007. Dr. Miller works on the evolution of morphology and behavior, particularly in the field of sexual selection. She uses insects to understand the fundamentals of why animals do what they do and are shaped the way they are shaped. Some of her recent honors and awards include a $1.2M award (2022-2026) from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the NSF CAREER Award (2016-2022), the national Excellence in College and University Teaching Award from the USDA (2017), the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award (2018), and she was recognized as an Honorary Term Professor by the University of Florida twice, in 2016 and 2019. Dr. Miller recently returned from a year-long sabbatical at the University of Cambridge.
Curriculum vitae
Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida. She earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Organismal Biology and Ecology from the University of Montana in 2007. Dr. Miller works on the evolution of morphology and behavior, particularly in the field of sexual selection. She uses insects to understand the fundamentals of why animals do what they do and are shaped the way they are shaped. Some of her recent honors and awards include a $1.2M award (2022-2026) from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the NSF CAREER Award (2016-2022), the national Excellence in College and University Teaching Award from the USDA (2017), the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award (2018), and she was recognized as an Honorary Term Professor by the University of Florida twice, in 2016 and 2019. Dr. Miller recently returned from a year-long sabbatical at the University of Cambridge.
Curriculum vitae
Christina Salerno
Christina completed her B.S. (2017) and Ph.D. (2023) in marine biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her Ph.D. explored the patterns, causes and consequences of personality in a keystone salt marsh grazer, Littoraria irrorata. She is joining the Miller lab in the fall of 2023 as a postdoctoral laboratory supervisor and she will be investigating the biomechanics of animal weapons in dynamic environments. Christina is passionate about animal behavior and she is looking forward to exploring the different habitats that Florida has to offer.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar
James Boothroyd
James finished his B.S. at Northern Arizona University in 2017 and joined us as a Ph.D. student in the fall of 2020. James has a great interest in invertebrate biology and behavior, especially as it relates to evolution and sexual selection. In the Miller Lab James is working on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in testes and weapons. He balances his demanding research schedule with leadership, serving as the Supervisory TA for the Principles of Entomology laboratory sections, and teaching of his own laboratory section.
Yichen Li
Yichen completed her B.S. at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, with majors in Evolutionary Biology and Psychology, and a certificate in Environmental Studies. She joined the Miller Lab as a M.S. student in the fall of 2022. Yichen is mesmerized by insect behavioral ecology broadly, and specifically interested in sexual selection and the influence of social context on leaf-footed bugs. Her M.S. thesis research focuses on female injuries sustained as a result of male-male competition. Besides doing sciences, she also loves macro photography and drawing insects.
Alva Mihalik
Alva is a student at the University of Florida and will be completing her undergraduate degree in December 2023. She has worked with several study organisms, from wasps to lizards, and her main research interest is the evolution of reproductive strategies. She is captivated by insects because many provide great opportunities to learn about evolution. Alva joined the Miller Lab in 2023 as a year-long intern to study the biomechanics of insect cuticles and sexually selected weapons. She is excited for the discoveries and impact to be made with her involvement in the lab. Outside of the lab, she likes to explore the outdoors and paint or photograph what she sees in nature, mainly insects.
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The lab is growing! Soon we will welcome one new postdoctoral associate, numerous internships, and multiple graduate students. Stay tuned!
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