Lab PI, Dr. Sara Ruane

Curriculum vitae, last updated Jan. 2019 updated_ruane_cv_2019

Assistant professor at Rutgers University-Newark as of Jan. 2017! If you are interested in reptile systematics, especially snakes, please contact me at sara.ruane@rutgers.edu. I am actively recruiting students for my newly established lab. If you are an undergrad who wants to do research I have opportunities available, but read this first! how to write an email to a professor

Recently a postdoc at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, working with Chris Austin on snake related projects, especially taxa from New Guinea. Prior to LSU, I was a postdoctoral researcher working at the American Museum of Natural History, focusing on the phylogenetics and unrecognized diversity of Malagasy snakes, and this collaboration continues. I completed my doctorate in the Biology EEB program with Frank Burbrink at CUNY (conferred 2/13) (Frank is now a curator at AMNH, see here), where I used molecular data to update taxonomic hypotheses for milksnakes across their ranges in the USA, Central, and South America.

The Ruane Lab seeks to simultaneously inform reptile and amphibian systematics while also answering broad, contemporary questions in evolutionary biology. Some of my current research focuses on the phylogenetics of the Malagasy pseudoxyrhophiines, which includes the use of molecular data in the form of next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger-sequencing approaches, as well as ecological and morphological data to aid in understanding what factors promote speciation in these snakes. I am also working on a project examining undescribed diversity in the poorly known New Guinean snakes. New and upcoming research from the Ruane Lab will include co-historical demography and genetic diversity of NJ squamates in the Pine Barrens. While my interests in herpetology are broad, my lab focuses primarily on snakes, especially with respect to systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography.

Besides snakes, Sara loves the color pink, chicken wings, and poodles (not necessarily in that order)!

Mailing Address:

Sara Ruane
Department of Biological Sciences
206 Boyden Hall
Rutgers University
195 University Ave.
Newark, NJ 07102

Phone: 973-353-1429

Email: sara.ruane@rutgers.edu