Principal Investigator
Naim M. Bautista, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology (Physiological Ecology)
I spend my time trying to figure out how animals (and occasionally myself) survive challenging environments. My research covers animal physiology, phenotypic plasticity, adaptation, and evolution, which means my days involve everything from office to lab to fieldwork, and backwards. Outside work, I enjoy reading about science (yep, thats for fun) and then somehow I still want to talk about it during breakfast, dinner, and before bed. But I also like working out, playing chess, hiking, a good coffee, and good food.
Contact:
naimmbautista@ou.edu
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Paula S. Garrido Coria
Ph.D in Biology
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 2022
I am fascinated by animal behavior. I am curious about how and why animals behave the way they do, what mechanisms underlie their behavior, and its implications for evolution. My work combines fieldwork, natural history, and quantitative analysis. Although most of my research has focused on bird behavior, I am excited to step into applying behavioral studies on mice and relate it with their physiology in this lab.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family (especially my nephew, Genarito) and friends. I enjoy being outdoors (birdwatching), walking, running, or simply admiring the mountains while drinking mate, a traditional South American herbal infusion. I am also love music, and I really appreciate and have admiration for craftmanship and artisanal art. Indoors I enjoy embroidery and cooking.
Contact:
paula.garrido.coria@gmail.com
Graduate Students
Maden A. Mazzutti
Ph.D. Student
BS. in Biology
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 2026
Hi there!, my name is Maden Mazzutti. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. I am 26 years old. I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. focused on local adaptations and phenotypic plasticity in Andean lizards at the IADIZA Institute, CONICET, in Mendoza, Argentina, and are co-adviced by Nadia and Naim.
My expertise lies in ecophysiology and animal behavior; however, I have also studied paleobiology and entomological anatomy and have participated in teaching projects at the high school and university levels. Outside of work, I really enjoy spending time with friends and family; I consider myself a very sociable person who really enjoys the company of the people I love. My favourite thing to do is go to the mountains and enjoy nature; I love animals (all of them). I really enjoy going for a run and cooking in my spare time.
Contact:
alanizmaden@gmail.com
Undegrad Students
Kara E. Meloni
Undergraduate Biology student,
University of Oklahoma
I am a pre-med student with an interest in medicine and biomedical research. For my honors research, I am studying the oxygen-binding affinity of hemoglobin in marine iguanas and the functional properties that influence it. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, working on jigsaw puzzles, watching YouTube, and playing video and board games. I also love spending time with my cat, Norman, who makes a point of involving himself in all of these activities, whether his help is wanted or not.
Contact:
Kara.E.Meloni-1@ou.edu
Collaborators
Nadia Vivenzi
IADIZA-CONICET
Josefina Menéndez
IADIZA-CONICET
Marcial Quiroga-Carmona
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
