We are a diverse group of biologists interested in amphibian disease ecology, conservation, and evolution.
Ana V. Longo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Principal Investigator
My research as a disease ecologist and evolutionary biologist began in my effort to understand the role of fungal pathogens in global amphibian declines and species extinctions. I was drawn to this problem more than fifteen years ago, when I learned that an extinct frog from my island Puerto Rico was infected with the amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), yet other species persisted despite infection. I employ tools from population biology, microbial and community ecology, genomics, and evolutionary biology to distinguish mechanisms resulting in particular disease outcomes across species of amphibians and contrasting disease states (endemic infections vs. outbreaks). I am proud to be Boricua 🇵🇷 and #productoUPR. I have one human daughter and one four-legged son.
Email me: ana.longo at ufl.edu
Follow my work: Google Scholar
Current Members
Zuania Colón-Piñeiro, Ph.D.
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow
I am an ecologist interested in understanding how interactions between abiotic and biotic factors shape fitness. In a world where amphibians are declining due to emerging pathogens and environmental challenges, I integrate field and lab work with theory to understand host-pathogen-microbiome dynamics. I am particularly interested in the physiological and behavioral responses of amphibians –with atypical life cycles– to pathogen infections across ontogeny and seasonality. When do frogs need to activate their immune defenses? How does the activation have carryover effects on their fitness? To answer this questions, I use the common coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) as a model species native to Puerto Rico, where I am from. I am passionate about mentoring and envisioning a future in academia, integrating research, teaching, and outreach to inspire others about science, especially among underrepresented groups. Because of my character, leadership, service, advocacy, and scholarship, I was inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and selected as an American Association of University Women (AAUW) fellow.
Email me: colonpineiro.z at ufl.edu
Follow me on Twitter and Bluesky: @ZuaniaColon
Nicolina Valore
M.S. student (expected graduation date May 2027)
My research interests revolve around disease ecology and herpetology, specifically studying how parasitism affects amphibians and their microbiomes. In my undergraduate career I studied the microbiome of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and now my current research in the Longo Lab is centered around microbial community ecology in ticks parasitizing frogs. I am interested in whether the skin microbiome of Eleutherodactylus cooki is influenced by the presence of attached soft ticks, and conversely, whether the microbiome of the soft ticks is shaped by the skin microbiome of E. cooki. My aim for this research is to contribute to our understanding of parasitism in amphibians as many species are currently facing extinction and raped population declines.
Email me: valoren at ufl.edu
Undergraduate Researchers
Andrés Calavia Sarnago
Undergraduate student
I am originally from Soria, Spain, but I moved to Miami in 2012. I am a sophomore biology major undergraduate student on the pre-med track, with an interest in understanding disease transmission and its impact on public health. My research focuses on Carios ticks, a type of soft tick recently found parasitizing coquí frogs in Puerto Rico. Using nanopore sequencing technology, I aim to identify the specific species of these ticks and explore their potential role in transmitting diseases and affecting metabolic pathways in humans. By analyzing the bacteria (Rickettsia) that these ticks harbor, I will assess any potential public health risks and contribute to our understanding of tick-borne diseases in the region.
Email me: andrescalavia@ufl.edu
Undergraduate Students
Sasha Sandoval; Marcos Rodríguez-Lapido; Elyse Martin
UF Biology Courtesy Faculty
Natalie Claunch, Ph.D.
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow (Now @ USDA APHIS Wildlife Services – National Wildlife Reserach Center and Florida Field Station )
Lab Progeny (PhDs)
Sarah McGrath-Blaser, Ph.D.
Graduated August 2023 (Now Assistant Director of Conservation and Science at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences)
My research interests center on discovering connections between the amphibian skin microbiome and host health with particular focus on the transfer of microbes between hosts, between hosts and their environment, and across reproduction. I am also interested in the development of novel survey methods to better detect cryptic species, such as canopy dwelling tree frogs. Other passions include science communication and outreach, which I believe are imperative for the continued development of science literacy!
Follow me on Twitter: @BlasinAmphibs
Arik Hartmann, Ph.D.
Graduated May 2024 (Now Postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Tech)
My research interests centers around pathogen and host interactions to better understand how host defenses, life history, and environment can influence disease susceptibility. I am particularly interested in how disease susceptibility changes with host ontogeny, especially in amphibians with more complex life cycles, such as newts. Additionally, I am passionate about community engagement and involvement in local conservation efforts, and educating the public about wildlife through outreach.
Email me: arikh at vt.edu
Zuania Colón-Piñeiro, Ph.D.
Graduated August 2025 (Now NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at UF Biology/Florida Museum of Natural History)
See above!
Lab Alumni
Anja Julian
Undergraduate student (Graduated Summer 2025, now at University of Amsterdam)
I am a senior undergraduate student in Sustainability and the Built Environment interested in the impacts of urban planning and climate resilient design on health and disease transmission, especially among vulnerable populations. My current project in the Longo Lab focuses on how urbanization in Puerto Rico affects Coqui frog health and susceptibility to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and other infectious pathogens.
Email me: ajulian@ufl.edu
Ben Gonzalez
Undergraduate student (Graduated December 2024, now at University of Texas-Austin)
I am a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation broadly interested in questions related to eco-evolutionary dynamics, functional morphology, and disease ecology. My research in the Longo Lab aims to investigate the potential impacts of an introduced caecilian population on native ecosystems in South Florida. This project has two goals: 1) Identify pathogen potential to establish spillover to native amphibians, and 2) Quantify reproductive efforts of introduced caecilians to understand potential competitive interactions.
Emilio Pedroza López
Undergraduate student (Graduated December 2024, now at University of Rhode Island)
I’m a senior Zoology and Environmental Science undergraduate student interested in behavioral ecology, communication, and environmental change. I’m studying the acoustic activity window of Eleutherodactylus coqui across an elevational gradient in El Yunque, Puerto Rico, analyzing the potential causes for differences across the gradient.
Cory McKinstry
Graduated August 2023 (Now at North Carolina State University)
My research interests are focused on host-pathogen interactions to better understand how the organisms in the environment influence infection dynamics. I am particularly interested in how coinfection with parasites (including other pathogens!) can change the rate and intensity of infection in wild herpetofauna. I am also passionate about outreach and aim to inspire passion and scientific literacy in my fellow community members.
Email me: corymckinstry0 at gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: @herpetologish
Lab Alumni
- Jaime N. Ferrer (Fall 2019, UF)
- Ingrid Ramírez (Summer 2019, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras)
- Kelly R. Westfall (Summer-Fall 2019, UF)
- Jennifer Villate (NIH-SF2UF Fellow)
- Natalie Alomar (NIH-MARC Fellow, now @ Yale University).
- Keara Clancy (USP Fellow)
- María Torres-Sánchez, Postdoctoral Researcher (Now at Universidad Complutense Madrid, España)
- Cory McKinstry (graduated August 2023)
- Faith Dunlap (graduated May 2024)
Longo Lab 