Lab Director
Kara E. Yopak, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ, 2007
B.A., Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 2002
Twitter Handle: @ProfSharkBrain
yopakk@uncw.edu
Research Interests
When I was five years old, I announced to my mom that I wanted to be an ichthyologist who studies sharks. And that enthusiasm never waned.
I received my B.A. in Biology (with a specialization in marine science) from Boston University in 2002 and completed my PhD at the University of Auckland in New Zealand in 2007, before completing postdocs at the University of California San Diego and the University of Western Australia. In this time, my research has focused on comparative neurobiology and the adaptive, developmental, and phylogenetic forces acting on evolution of the brain, particularly within the clade of cartilaginous fishes.
My research interests lie in the evolution of neural systems, particularly the ways in which variation in brain size, structure, and cellular composition underlies complex behaviors and cognitive capacity in fishes. Through my academic career, I have found the best way to answer scientific questions is to cross traditional academic boundaries, employing novel techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and flow cytometry, in conjunction with traditional histology and comparative phylogenetic statistics, and applying these seemingly disparate methods to explore the adaptive, developmental, and evolutionary processes driving brain evolution. As such, I consider myself an integrative biologist, with research at the nexus between marine biology, neuroscience, functional morphology, evolutionary biology, and MR physics.
If you want to hear about some of our ongoing projects, check out our Research page.