If you are a prospective graduate or undergraduate student and want to work with me, please send an e-mail to me at burbrink@mail.csi.cuny.edu.  You should describe the type of degree (Masters or Ph.D.) you wish to obtain and the nature of the research you would like to conduct (please be specific).     

The following people are conducting valuable phylogenetic research on snakes in my lab :

Graduate Students

Frank Fontanella

   Frank is my first doctoral student and he is investigating the phylogeography of the ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus, throughout their known range.  His first paper on the population demographics and phylogeography on this species, using sequences from two mtDNA genes, is coming out shortly in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.  He is still working on the fine-scaled population genetics in this species using microsatellite data.

If you have questions or legally secured tissues for Frank, then e-mail him at: FFontanella@gc.cuny.edu

Tim Guiher

Tim is working on the phylogeography, population demographics (as well as niche modeling through time) of the venomous snakes in the genus Agkistrodon.  His first paper on the phylogeography and population demographics is forthcoming. If you have questions or legally secured tissues for Tim, then e-mail him at: tguiher@yahoo.com

Alex Pyron

Alex is working on the phylogeography and population demographics of the common kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula.  Alex is also deeply interested in statistical phylogenetics and correct methods for estimating divergence dates when rates of evolution vary.  If you have questions or legally secured tissues for Alex, then e-mail him at: pantherophis@gmail.com 

Please visit his website for more information: http://163.238.8.180/~rpyron/

Sara Ruane

Sara just arrived in my lab (fall 2007) with a fresh, new Master's Degree.  She is just beginning her research on the phylogeography of the milksnake, Lampropeltis triangulum.  If you have questions or legally secured tissues for Sara, then e-mail her at: sararuane@hotmail.com

Please visit his website for more information: http://163.238.8.180/~ruane/

Three of my doctoral students (plus Cynthia Jimenez) in the glorious state of West Virginia

Undergraduates

Past

Samy Saker

Magdalena Petrov

Tara Gianoulis (Now in Grad School at Yale...woo hoo!!!)

John Anastasio (Now in Vet School)

Paul Krakowsi (Nowhere to be found)

Paulina Kozlowski (Now in Med School in Poland)

Two of these stupid pictures were taken by Alex Pyron (# 's 1 and  6)