Alayna Mead
@alaynamead.bsky.social
NSF PRFB postdoc at Penn State studying adaptation to climate in trees 🌳 #PopUpPoplars | PhD on California oaks | fan of nature and books | she/her
Pinned
Alayna Mead
@alaynamead.bsky.social
· Jan 3
I'm super excited to share that our article on conservation genomics of Island Oak (Quercus tomentella) is now out in @evolappjournal.bsky.social! This was one of my PhD chapters and funded by CCGP and TNC. 🌾(🧵 below)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Alayna Mead
This just out from @mortonarboretum.bsky.social Rebekah Mohn: reference genome and read mapping method both affect phylogenetic inference & heterozygosity estimates across species.
Punchline? Use a closely related but not conspecific reference.
Open-access!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Punchline? Use a closely related but not conspecific reference.
Open-access!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Variant Calling in the Goldilocks Zone: How Reference Genome Choice and Read Mapping Stringency Impact Heterozygosity Estimates and Phylogenetic Analyses
The increasing numbers of published reference genomes and affordability of whole genome resequencing have enabled multispecies population genomic and phylogenomic studies on non-model organisms, but ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:32 PM
This just out from @mortonarboretum.bsky.social Rebekah Mohn: reference genome and read mapping method both affect phylogenetic inference & heterozygosity estimates across species.
Punchline? Use a closely related but not conspecific reference.
Open-access!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Punchline? Use a closely related but not conspecific reference.
Open-access!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Climate and hybridization shape #stomatal trait evolution in #Populus
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Zavala-Paez et al.
@WileyPlantSci @michellezavala.bsky.social @jillahamilton.bsky.social
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Zavala-Paez et al.
@WileyPlantSci @michellezavala.bsky.social @jillahamilton.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Climate and hybridization shape #stomatal trait evolution in #Populus
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Zavala-Paez et al.
@WileyPlantSci @michellezavala.bsky.social @jillahamilton.bsky.social
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Zavala-Paez et al.
@WileyPlantSci @michellezavala.bsky.social @jillahamilton.bsky.social
Reposted by Alayna Mead
It is official! DR. @michellezavala.bsky.social defended a very impressive dissertation today!! With friends, family, stomata cookies, and Ecuadorian Guinea pigs cheering her along! We understand so much more about the consequences of hybridization to the evolution of physiological traits!! #proudPI
November 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
It is official! DR. @michellezavala.bsky.social defended a very impressive dissertation today!! With friends, family, stomata cookies, and Ecuadorian Guinea pigs cheering her along! We understand so much more about the consequences of hybridization to the evolution of physiological traits!! #proudPI
Happy goldenrod season to all who celebrate (and bonus Coreopsis)
September 28, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Happy goldenrod season to all who celebrate (and bonus Coreopsis)
Hi #ESA2025! I'll be talking about phenology in a poplar hybrid zone at 3:45 this afternoon in the "Beyond Budburst–Connecting Phenological Transitions Among Tissues and Times in Woody Plants" session. Excited to hear some phenology talks!
August 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Hi #ESA2025! I'll be talking about phenology in a poplar hybrid zone at 3:45 this afternoon in the "Beyond Budburst–Connecting Phenological Transitions Among Tissues and Times in Woody Plants" session. Excited to hear some phenology talks!
Reposted by Alayna Mead
I am thrilled to share this paper outlining some ideas I’ve been thinking about for a little while on a simple but powerful approach for predicting risk of inbreeding depression from long runs of homozygosity and non-ROH heterozygosity. 1/n @klohmueller.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
August 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I am thrilled to share this paper outlining some ideas I’ve been thinking about for a little while on a simple but powerful approach for predicting risk of inbreeding depression from long runs of homozygosity and non-ROH heterozygosity. 1/n @klohmueller.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Very excited to have our study come out looking at multiple plant mosaic hybrid zones and their implications for hybrids to act as "sutures" of species ranges. We use genomic data to project shifts into future climates and discuss impacts on conservation/management.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
July 30, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Very excited to have our study come out looking at multiple plant mosaic hybrid zones and their implications for hybrids to act as "sutures" of species ranges. We use genomic data to project shifts into future climates and discuss impacts on conservation/management.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Super sad to be missing out on #Botany2025, but Hamilton Lab is represented by @sammymuraguri.bsky.social - be sure to drop by his poster to learn about the genomic architecture of adaptive introgression across repeated contact zones between two sister Poplar species #PopUpPoplars
July 28, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Super sad to be missing out on #Botany2025, but Hamilton Lab is represented by @sammymuraguri.bsky.social - be sure to drop by his poster to learn about the genomic architecture of adaptive introgression across repeated contact zones between two sister Poplar species #PopUpPoplars
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Winter is great, thunderstorms in spring are great, leaves changing colors in fall is great. Californians insulate themselves from the beauty and changes of the seasons in search of a mythical “perfect weather”. It’s perverse Utopianism and a weakness of the spirit
After experiencing “four seasons” I’m calling bullshit on people saying they prefer that more than California weather. Bullshit you do. You just experience such a massive dopamine rush in spring after the hell-dark that you rationalize it.
June 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Winter is great, thunderstorms in spring are great, leaves changing colors in fall is great. Californians insulate themselves from the beauty and changes of the seasons in search of a mythical “perfect weather”. It’s perverse Utopianism and a weakness of the spirit
Reposted by Alayna Mead
One week to go!!! So excited to host our colleagues next week in the Happy Valley of Pennsylvania! Over 150 registrants from around the world!! If you’re interested in coming but unable to join in person - email me to learn about virtual options forestgeneticsconference2025.com #forestgenetics2025
June 16, 2025 at 2:37 PM
One week to go!!! So excited to host our colleagues next week in the Happy Valley of Pennsylvania! Over 150 registrants from around the world!! If you’re interested in coming but unable to join in person - email me to learn about virtual options forestgeneticsconference2025.com #forestgenetics2025
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Based on some quick math, this alone could fund the NSF Plant Genome Research Program for ~4 years; the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, which was totally axed in the NSF budget request, for ~9 years; and ~ half the total NSF GRFP budget
BREAKING: The Pentagon said the deployment of National Guard members and Marines to protests over immigration raids in LA will cost $134 million.
Hegseth faces sharp questions from Congress on deploying troops to Los Angles and Pentagon chaos
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been quickly met with sharp questions and criticism by lawmakers who pressed him about his early moves to fire key military leaders and and purge diversity programs.
bit.ly
June 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Based on some quick math, this alone could fund the NSF Plant Genome Research Program for ~4 years; the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, which was totally axed in the NSF budget request, for ~9 years; and ~ half the total NSF GRFP budget
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Our new study out in Molecular Ecology, led by 3 early-career scientists, uses hyb-seq on rangewide field collections to document introgression, species differentiation, and phylogeograhy of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) & relatives. Great work by a large team over many yrs!
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
June 10, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Our new study out in Molecular Ecology, led by 3 early-career scientists, uses hyb-seq on rangewide field collections to document introgression, species differentiation, and phylogeograhy of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) & relatives. Great work by a large team over many yrs!
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Happy Pride from California Native Plants!
June 1, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Happy Pride from California Native Plants!
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Super excited for the first manuscript #NSFFunded led by the very talented
@alaynamead.bsky.social
from our #PopUpPoplar common gardens spanning 17 environments across the US that examined fitness variation and predicted range shifts for hybrids to new environments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@alaynamead.bsky.social
from our #PopUpPoplar common gardens spanning 17 environments across the US that examined fitness variation and predicted range shifts for hybrids to new environments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Variation in responses to temperature across admixed genotypes of Populus trichocarpa x P. balsamifera predict geographic shifts in regions where hybrids are favored
In a rapidly changing environment, predicting changes in the growth and survival of local populations can inform conservation and management. Plastic responses vary as a result of genetic differentiat...
www.biorxiv.org
May 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Super excited for the first manuscript #NSFFunded led by the very talented
@alaynamead.bsky.social
from our #PopUpPoplar common gardens spanning 17 environments across the US that examined fitness variation and predicted range shifts for hybrids to new environments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@alaynamead.bsky.social
from our #PopUpPoplar common gardens spanning 17 environments across the US that examined fitness variation and predicted range shifts for hybrids to new environments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Constantia, Lassen County, CA
🗺39.9228, -120.0034 🧭216° ⛰5604 ft
https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/1635
🗺39.9228, -120.0034 🧭216° ⛰5604 ft
https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/1635
May 17, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Constantia, Lassen County, CA
🗺39.9228, -120.0034 🧭216° ⛰5604 ft
https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/1635
🗺39.9228, -120.0034 🧭216° ⛰5604 ft
https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/1635
Reposted by Alayna Mead
One thing I’ve noticed as people move away from the rainbow palette is more use of divergent palettes for sequential data. That’s not *always* a bad idea, but often is. This example inadvertently de-emphasizes states (Colorado) where people hear about climate change more frequently.
#dataviz 📊
#dataviz 📊
May 16, 2025 at 6:50 PM
One thing I’ve noticed as people move away from the rainbow palette is more use of divergent palettes for sequential data. That’s not *always* a bad idea, but often is. This example inadvertently de-emphasizes states (Colorado) where people hear about climate change more frequently.
#dataviz 📊
#dataviz 📊
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Excited by new #NSFFunded research from #PopUpPoplars led by @michellezavala.bsky.social that shows the importance of considering cytonuclear interactions to plant function
The role of cytonuclear interactions to plant adaptation across a Populus hybrid zone www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The role of cytonuclear interactions to plant adaptation across a Populus hybrid zone www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
May 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Excited by new #NSFFunded research from #PopUpPoplars led by @michellezavala.bsky.social that shows the importance of considering cytonuclear interactions to plant function
The role of cytonuclear interactions to plant adaptation across a Populus hybrid zone www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The role of cytonuclear interactions to plant adaptation across a Populus hybrid zone www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Alayna Mead
The PLANTS program (funded by NSF) at @botsocamerica.bsky.social was a cornerstone of the conference each year, bringing together new-to-science scholars with more experienced mentors. It helped provide community, support, and connection to new scientists.
The grant was terminated last week.
The grant was terminated last week.
May 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The PLANTS program (funded by NSF) at @botsocamerica.bsky.social was a cornerstone of the conference each year, bringing together new-to-science scholars with more experienced mentors. It helped provide community, support, and connection to new scientists.
The grant was terminated last week.
The grant was terminated last week.
Reposted by Alayna Mead
happy to see our study on genetic parallelism of reproductive isolation in chickadee hybrid zones out in @evolletters.bsky.social—great work led by Georgy Semenov & Scott Taylor: doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Replicate geographic transects across a hybrid zone reveal parallelism and differences in the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation
Abstract. Determining the genetic architecture of traits involved in adaptation and speciation is one of the key components of understanding the evolutiona
doi.org
May 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM
happy to see our study on genetic parallelism of reproductive isolation in chickadee hybrid zones out in @evolletters.bsky.social—great work led by Georgy Semenov & Scott Taylor: doi.org/10.1093/evle...
With all the chaos, it was good to help put some trees in the ground today! 🌿💚
Day 2 of the PI taking selfies and photos while everyone works really hard #blackash #commongarden #congen. It’s a little wet out here!!
May 6, 2025 at 10:33 PM
With all the chaos, it was good to help put some trees in the ground today! 🌿💚
Reposted by Alayna Mead
We report: the first few days of May happened like a drawn-out sigh, a spill of warmth and light. Spring is now rolling out at full speed, and we remember now how hungry green can be, crawling onto pavements and walls and trees. The sunset seems a weak attempt at stopping it.
May 4, 2025 at 10:47 PM
We report: the first few days of May happened like a drawn-out sigh, a spill of warmth and light. Spring is now rolling out at full speed, and we remember now how hungry green can be, crawling onto pavements and walls and trees. The sunset seems a weak attempt at stopping it.
Reposted by Alayna Mead
Upset about federal funding cuts in the US? Want some ideas of what to do? I wrote a long-ish blog post about it here
ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com
summarizing things I learned meeting with Senate & House aides this week with the @aibsbiology.bsky.social Congressional Visits Day event.
ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com
summarizing things I learned meeting with Senate & House aides this week with the @aibsbiology.bsky.social Congressional Visits Day event.
Eco-Evo Evo-Eco
Academic musing by Hendry, Bolnick, Gotanda, and awesome guests.
Opinions and statements expressed on this blog are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent endorsement by the blog...
ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com
May 2, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Upset about federal funding cuts in the US? Want some ideas of what to do? I wrote a long-ish blog post about it here
ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com
summarizing things I learned meeting with Senate & House aides this week with the @aibsbiology.bsky.social Congressional Visits Day event.
ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com
summarizing things I learned meeting with Senate & House aides this week with the @aibsbiology.bsky.social Congressional Visits Day event.
Reposted by Alayna Mead
NEW: We (mostly @noamross.net) launched a website to shine a brighter light on terminated NIH and NSF grants.
grant-watch.us
It links to our NIH & NSF trackers, grant info submission forms, and other info. We'll also add new analyses soon.
Check it out and let us know what else you'd like to see.
grant-watch.us
It links to our NIH & NSF trackers, grant info submission forms, and other info. We'll also add new analyses soon.
Check it out and let us know what else you'd like to see.
Grant Watch
grant-watch.us
April 30, 2025 at 4:19 AM
NEW: We (mostly @noamross.net) launched a website to shine a brighter light on terminated NIH and NSF grants.
grant-watch.us
It links to our NIH & NSF trackers, grant info submission forms, and other info. We'll also add new analyses soon.
Check it out and let us know what else you'd like to see.
grant-watch.us
It links to our NIH & NSF trackers, grant info submission forms, and other info. We'll also add new analyses soon.
Check it out and let us know what else you'd like to see.
Reposted by Alayna Mead
My NSF PRFB on the genetics of female polymorphism in hummingbirds was terminated yesterday.
I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further.
If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.
I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further.
If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.
April 26, 2025 at 12:06 PM
My NSF PRFB on the genetics of female polymorphism in hummingbirds was terminated yesterday.
I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further.
If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.
I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further.
If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.