People

Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; and

Assistant Curator, Museum of Paleontology

---------------------------------------------

The lab research focuses on using biological and paleontological data to understand the ecology and evolution of species interactions and distributions. Dr. Swain's work spans a wide variety of systems, with special focus on the paleoecology of plant-insect interactions and the planktonic foraminifera.

---------------------------------------------

Office: Room No. 3164, Biological Sciences Building, 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

Email: answain@umich.edu

Google Scholar   ResearchGate   CV

Google Scholar   ResearchGate

He has done a bit of everything. After graduating from Aix-Marseille Université in 2022, he joined the MEME program and attended courses at multiple European universities. As part of these rotations, he also joined ongoing research projects in various fields, ranging from the speciation genomics of weevils to behavior in Heliconius butterflies. In the meantime, he conducted independent research focusing on the taxonomy of Buthid scorpions and the biomechanics of venom spraying. In his words, he is very excited to join the Swain lab later this year, where he intends to curate and analyze large biodiversity datasets to investigate some of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for shaping the modern biosphere. Outside the lab, you might catch him hiking, shooting film, or playing fingerstyle guitar!

Emily Smith is an undergraduate student studying Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She is interested in the evolution and behavior of animals. She spent the summer working as a Research Assistant studying cognitive evolution in paper wasps, where she adopted her pet wasp, Lulu. She is excited to expand her knowledge by working in the Swain lab. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and hiking.  

Gabrielle Seib-Napolitan is a 4th-year undergraduate student studying Environmental Science, specializing in environmental/public health with a minor in Biology. She is interested in how the environment and its pollutants affect animal and human health. Over the summer, she worked alongside fellow research assistant Emily Smith, collecting data on the cognition and evolution of paper wasps. She wasp-sits for Emily’s pet wasp, Lulu, on occasion. At home in New Jersey, Gabby enjoys going on hikes and bike rides and spending time with her family and dogs, Cedar and Violet. At school in Michigan, she enjoys attending football games, squirrel-watching, and walks in the Arb. 

We are a new lab and are actively looking for people at all levels (undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers) to come and work with us. If you are interested, please reach out directly to Prof. Swain (answain@umich.edu).