Dr. Emily Setton recently received a three year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology from the National Science Foundation. Emily is a postdoctoral scholar in the Seaver laboratory, and her proposed project will leverage available functional genomic tools in the marine segmented worm Capitella teleta to investigate mechanisms of segment addition. These studies will address a long open question in animal biology, specifically whether segments in animals such as earthworms (annelids), lobsters (arthropods) and snakes (chordates) share a common evolutionary origin or whether this highly successful body plan arose independently. Like other annelids, C. teleta continues to generate segments throughout its life, and the project will also investigate the ability of juveniles to generate new segments in varying environmental conditions.
When asked about receipt of this competitive award, Emily says “I am honored and delighted to be one of this year’s fellows. This project is an exciting opportunity to utilize an under-studied group of animals toward better understanding an unresolved question in evolutionary developmental biology. I’m excited to begin my fellowship this fall and to continue working as a member of the Seaver research group.”
The title of the awarded project is ‘Investigating developmental genetic and environmental modulators of segment addition in annelid worms’.
Congratulations Emily!