Santiago Claramunt, PhD
Associate Curator of Ornithology, Royal Ontario Museum
Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
I love science and nature, theory and fieldwork. My favourite birds are the South American ovenbirds and woodcreepers (Furnariidae). I obtained my biological sciences degree at the Universidad de la República, in Uruguay, and my PhD in Biology at Louisiana State University, followed by a postdoctoral position at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I also worked at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural of Uruguay.
Oliver Haddrath
Ornithology Technician, Royal Ontario Museum
I have been working for the museum for almost 30 years, looking after one of the ROM’s molecular labs using DNA from a wide variety of birds and other animals to help understand the diversity of life, as well as, the conservation of endangered species. My undergraduate work was in molecular biology and my Masters focused on the large flightless birds, such as the ostrich, rheas, cassowaries, emu, kiwi and extinct moa; birds which are spread across the southern hemisphere. Being able to sequence their DNAs became the vital piece in the puzzle to resolve the mystery of their origins and biogeography.
Talia Lowi-Merri
PhD. Student, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Talia is interested in the relationships between morphology, ecology, and function, especially in birds and their extinct relatives. She is an avid bird-watcher, science educator, and museum advocate. See her webpage.
Viviana Astudillo-Clavijo
PhD. Student, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Viviana is interested in macroevolutionary change and the underlying mechanisms involved in the production of tropical biodiversity. She is currently using museum collections to study the interplay between ecological adaptation and historical evolutionary change in cichlid fishes. Beyond research, she enjoys teaching, hiking and drawing/painting.
Jonathan Chu
MSc Student, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Jonathan is broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of birds, with a focus on the relationship between wing shape and dispersal in birds. In the past I have investigated a possible relationship between wing morphology and migratory flight ability. Visit his webpage for more details.
Milly Hong
BSc. Student, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Milly is interested in avian evolutionary ecology, particularly with migratory birds. Her honours thesis compared migratory flight morphology between eastern and western North American warblers.
