Cannatella Lab – UT Austin

My research focuses on the systematics, phylogenomics, and biodiversity of amphibians, particularly Neotropical frogs. My lab investigates topics such as acoustic communication, chemical defense in poison frogs, species delimitation, and the integration of fossil and phenotypic data.

My research focuses on the evolution of chemical defenses and aposematic coloration in poison frogs (Dendrobatidae), using tools from chemical ecology and genomics. I have a broad background in vertebrate evolution, including previous work on immunogenomics in crows, population genetics in keel-billed toucans, and dental evolution in New World monkeys. Before joining UT, I was a research scientist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

I am broadly interested in character trait evolution, visual signaling, and sexual selection. At UT, my research focuses on understanding the origin and the function of biofluorescence in amphibians. I aim to answer this question through a multidisciplinary approach incorporating chemical ecology, animal behavior and genomics.

I am a senior EEB major with strong interests in animal behavior and sexual selection. My current role in the lab consists of assisting with multidisciplinary research on anuran biofluorescence. I also have a project underway investigating the the changes in biofluorescence through ontogeny and the potential role of fluorescence in mate choice.

Vincent Le is a third-year undergraduate Biochemistry major who joined the Cannatella lab in December 2024. His research focuses on using transcriptomic data to investigate the evolutionary basis of defense mechanisms in poison frogs, with a focus on species in the genus Epipedobates. In his free time, he enjoys music, building computers, and cooking.

My name is Evelyn Groeneweg and I am a third year Biology undergraduate student with a minor in Statistics and Data Science. I’m from the Netherlands and have enjoyed being outside ever since I was young. Because of that, I want to make a career out of interacting with nature and animals by going into research and academia. I am mainly interested in studying animal behavior, small or large, and have a special interest in marine animals. Additionally I hope to make an impact on conservation efforts and make the world a slightly better place.

I study the evolution, natural history, and behavior of Eleutherodactylus frogs and Eurycea salamanders. My work integrates fieldwork, controlled experiments, and museum collections to address questions about speciation, hybridization, adaptation, and behavior.

Ed is an amphibian ecologist from Cambridge, England, who loves exploring and researching the processes and scientific mechanisms of how amphibians live among tropical rainforests. As a canopy frog specialist, he hopes to tease apart the responses of amphibians to seasonal climate across the vertical gradient from ground to canopy.