The McKenna Lab
Revealing the Ecology, Evolution & Genomic Basis of Insect Biodiversity Through Field, Laboratory & Collections-Based Research
Overview
People: Professor & Principal Investigator Duane McKenna, Postdocs (Kevin Moran, Na Ra Shin, and Terrence Sylvester), PhD Research Associates (Rich Adams, Cristian Beza, Dave Clarke, Stephanie Haddad, Xuankun Li & Seunggwan Shin), Graduate (PhD) students (Michael Charles, Soohyun Jeong, Yihang Li), Undergraduates, and other lab members.
Research: Insect systematics, genomics, and evolution with a focus on beetles (order Coleoptera), geographic patterns of diversity and endemism (worldwide), and the ecology, evolution and genomic basis of specialized plant-feeding and chemosensation. Research in my lab is relevant to agriculture, forestry, and the study and conservation of insect biodiversity in a rapidly changing world.
Affiliation: Center for Biodiversity Research (CBio) in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Memphis—a leading metropolitan research and teaching institution in Memphis, TN, USA.
January 2025: The McKenna Lab is searching for a PhD student in the general topic area of insect genomics and evolution. Contact for questions: Duane McKenna (dmckenna@memphis.edu)
Word collage based on abstracts of
papers published by the McKenna
Lab; made with www.wordle.net
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Have an idea for a collaborative project? Want to discuss getting involved in an existing project? Contact Dr. McKenna
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Antarctic beetles have diversified in isolation for over 50 million years... See our recent paper in PNAS.
STUDENTS & POSTDOCS
Seeking a lab in which to pursue postdoctoral research or graduate studies?
CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH (CBio)
CBio offers a wide range of opportunities in biodiversity science & education for researchers & students