https://mikafishlab.com/home daily 1.0 2025-09-02 https://mikafishlab.com/outreach daily 0.75 2023-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1617398232664-YF4A4YJ54CTQ5PO9Q9YX/SO_Logo_Green_TM.png Outreach - Science Olympiad Science Olympiad is a k12 extracurricular program where students compete on teams in 23 events across the many components of STEM. For the past two decades and counting, I first competed and now serve as Event Supervisor for invitational, regional, state, wildcard, and the national Science Olympiad tournaments. In this time, I have developed and run programming for primarily middle and high school students on genetics, cell biology, microbiology, forensics, and various organismal identification events. With the program’s Urban Schools Initiative, my work in Chicago has had a particular impact on students within Chicago Public Schools by serving yearly as a coordinator for their specific invitational and regional competitions. I look forward to continuing this work in the future and one day would like to get involved in coaching a local team. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1617398497220-BO7ZI09SVK330PR8RY9K/image1.png Outreach - Skype a Scientist Addressing global access to science and scientists, the Skype a Scientist program matches scientists with classes of all kinds, ages, and size to chat about how they got where they are, what they study, and the challenges facing their field. A wonderful way of inspiring future scientists and showing off diverse role models, I have loved participating in this program. So far, I have chatted with multiple classes across the US and Canada from kindergarten through seniors in high school on evolution, cell biology, and ethics in genetics and had an absolutely wonderful time doing so! I can’t wait to see who I chat with next. If you’d like me to chat with your classroom, please reach out via my Contact page or email! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1617399184763-28TCWXI476DBLR3IE72R/CUESlogowordmark+copy.png Outreach - Chicago Undersea Explorers Society (CUES) CUES is a 501(c)3 dedicated to fostering curiosity, camaraderie, and diversity through underwater education and exploration. As a founding member and elected founding Chair of the Board of Directors, as well Instructor and Chair of the Mission Committee, my role in the organization is to guide program development, secure funding for scholarships and activities, and develop community partnerships that help further both their goals and ours. We aim to diversify the Chicago-land and Northwest Indiana diving community and provide a home for divers who feel disconnected from traditional scuba demographics. https://mikafishlab.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-08-25 https://mikafishlab.com/questions daily 0.75 2023-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1619984628538-07JIABI7OYGYM9A2MHLR/katiem_website-31.jpg Questions - Exploring Phylogenetic Variation Within Cellular Differentiation Pathways There is an incredible diversity of marine appendages, such as fish fins and cephalopod arms, that are critical for facilitating movement and feeding. In all cases, these forms develop as cells differentiate, a process that is reliant upon changes in gene expression. Despite the phenotypic diversity, the literature suggests many shared molecular signatures during development. Further study will allow us to identify (1) which appendage developmental pathways are conserved and (2) the variations to said pathways that give rise to the diversity of marine appendages seen today. This work builds upon the single-cell sequencing methods developed to investigate the fin-to-limb transition using zebrafish (Danio rerio), spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), little skate (Leucoraja erinacea), and chained catshark (Scyliorhinus rotifer). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1619984405580-GEUAUC057IZMMRKXA7AT/katiem_website-58.jpg Questions - Molecular Response to Life at High Hydrostatic Pressure Intrinsic to life underwater is a response to the pressure exerted by water upon the organism. The hydrostatic pressure experienced by a marine organism can build quickly. Every 10m an organism descends adds 1 atmosphere of pressure. Therefore, a fish 10m below the water's surface is subjected to twice the pressure than at the surface. At a depth of 4000m, the pressure is 401x that of the surface! Coupled with a lack of light, cold temperatures, frequent hypoxia, and limited food resources, habitats experiencing high hydrostatic pressure are considered some of the most hostile environments on the planet, yet a plethora of life successfully adapted and thrive in these conditions. By leveraging publicly available sequencing and morphometric data, as well as collecting additional samples, we will utilize comparative techniques to identify adaptations to life at depth. Additionally, using tracking and transcriptomic sampling of species found at various depths, we will investigate a previously unexplored question- what is the plasticity in the molecular response to hydrostatic pressure? How can fish with considerable depth ranges safely move vertically in the water column? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1619984232843-KOUZQR3X9AZU7QTVI9OM/katiem_website-5.jpg Questions - Effects of Microbiome Establishment and Perturbation on Marine Vertebrate Development Microbiomes can rapidly change in the face of environmental challenges, but the role these changes may play in the long-term adaptation of marine vertebrates is unknown. Along with collaborator Alexander Okamoto (graduate student, Harvard University), we have been working to establish the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) as a model system for oviparous marine vertebrate microbiome studies. With a well sequenced genome and many molecular techniques already established for the species, we have expanded the available baseline data to include profiles of its microbiome across ontogeny in 4 different tissues. Despite months to years of gestation within eggs and little to no extended contact with conspecifics from the time of oviposition until sexual maturity, we found evidence of vertical transmission. We plan to combine additional microbial studies of this species reared in different environments, a closely related species reared in the same environment, and perturbing the microbiome at critical times during development (such as when the gills are reorganizing from external to the body to internal), with morphometric and genetic analyses. Together, these studies will illuminate what role the microbiome may have in driving rapid adaptation to environmental shifts, such as those driven by global climate change. https://mikafishlab.com/publications daily 0.75 2023-08-21 https://mikafishlab.com/lab-members daily 0.75 2026-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1619986795169-8ZFOBN9H1XH7KFINW8C5/katiem_website-149.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/a2eea319-94a8-4a20-b46c-efcc53620c0b/PXL_20220724_150451136.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/0f84e9f6-1b34-4754-b52c-f71c7b7102cd/Emery_Headshot.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/765f500d-ac2e-4ca2-be5e-6be7cf62b155/Magnolia.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/1a728029-d9f3-49bd-8dea-98f0b1bd3899/thumbnail_Hannah+Lott+%28Headshot%29.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/fe07d8f7-54c0-43b8-bafe-56c51b088983/IMG_5716.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/dd3d94cc-b62d-4a5b-bc1a-89eb686e266b/IMG_1089+%281%29.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/e0b42a14-a9e6-45fe-aeb7-2f8e28092eec/%C2%A9Aubrey-Hord_8x12_Elizabeth-Parsons_004.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/538d1b00-6a13-455f-b0c4-0275d5231911/EGA_Headshot.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/9655a097-1b9c-4710-9647-032cb70521c2/IMG_8347.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/3a237618-fb23-40ba-8d90-fa9f13e3ef74/Kinlie.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/9170a3f6-f17d-4290-a95d-d8cf5f2b402b/DSC02707.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/99db0f74-8b0d-4a7b-ac9c-31ba8c133243/IMG_20231028_211602%7E3.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/c5db8077-4d7f-4b62-af7a-57bde65406f5/dc8bc23b-2e74-4d81-b863-796ee507e867.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/37d79152-8b47-4918-b3a2-f39bbec6ebb8/66841A8F-FD36-479C-AEF0-D5E61905F08B.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/fbe00525-a561-4215-a808-f390d6d17482/IMG_3926+%281%29.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/2bdf5931-3e9b-4252-a804-5a7b4c255b1d/Snapchat-1502636807+%281%29+%281%29.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/7b8eeee0-bffe-4da7-930b-106f12554dae/IMG_1010.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/0b96cb95-43a5-4f76-9227-d7dbad5228a6/006619CF-498C-4992-8766-8E52201F4FB8.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/9bf81284-3b4a-4acc-99de-0fbc7192d7dc/thumbnail_IMG_7542.png Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/5a03e406-8c49-46b4-a12e-9f25f63fe20c/IMG_20250526_125101.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/3257f4f3-8c2e-48a0-b7f2-6a0a24c4ac43/htk_profile2.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/dc29b68d-7b07-4907-b624-35fc91e66394/20241130_192926.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/600a76e9-cbdc-47a1-be68-2551afd510d5/29c19a3f-30ad-4d3b-9464-aef8684e7b5b.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/7805351c-f042-4967-b96c-f26be1746856/IMG_5206_Original.jpeg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/93970be5-8408-4cf4-a6cb-bdea3005d87a/headshot.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/cc82cb64-016a-4a30-bbc6-d6e9c636189c/Mika+Lab+Profile+Option+2.jpg Lab Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/606369eae969246414137e20/37019ecc-072e-4f89-a344-0789bc754ae0/_storage_emulated_0_Download_IMG_7783.JPG Lab Members https://mikafishlab.com/former-lab-members daily 0.75 2026-02-19