Dapper Lab

Mississippi State University

The Dapper Lab uses evolutionary genetic approaches to understand the origin and maintenance of genetic variation.  A major focus of the lab group is the evolution of reproductive traits - from behavior to cellular pathways. Our research employs both theoretical and empirical approaches, ideally in concert with one another.

Dapper Lab Fall 2021 (From left to right: Taylor Szasz, Dharani Matharage, Riley Cutler, Luke Zacharias, Katherynne Shores, Ethan Baca, Amy Dapper

 
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Dr. Amy Dapper, PI

Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

311 Harned Hall

662.325.7575  

dapper(at)biology.msstate.edu

Alex Longcamp, Postdoctoral Researcher

I received my PhD in Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech in Fall 2024, where I used mathematical models to study the eco-evolutionary processes of evolutionary rescue and niche construction. As a postdoctoral researcher in the Dapper lab, I am continuing my work on evolutionary rescue, now examining how rescue is affected by plasticity in the rate of recombination.

  • Longcamp A (In Revision) Evolutionary rescue from antagonistic invaders: Birth-limiting competition among residents can aid rescue. BioRxiv.

  • Uecker, H, M Osmond, … A Longcamp, … et al. (In Review) Modeling evolutionary rescue. EcoEvoRxiv.

LeAnn Ward, PhD Student - Computational Biology

I received my bachelor’s in Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2020. I completed a master's degree in 2022 at MSU. My thesis focused on using comparative evolution and genomics approaches to study the Heliconius genus butterflies, a long-lived species with unique life history changes, including the ability to pollen-feed. In 2023, I began my Ph.D. in Computational Biology in the Dapper lab. My research focuses on using forward-in-time simulations and machine learning to study the evolution of meiotic recombination. Outside of the lab, I enjoy walking my dog, reading sci-fi novels, and playing pickleball!

Siddhi Pathak, Undergraduate Student

Lab Alumni

Graduate Students

Taylor Green, PhD Student - Computational Biology

Taylor successfully defended her PhD in Spring 2026 and is currently a postdoc in the Ostrander lab at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

  • Szasz-Green, T, JD Konvalina, BB Parrott, EA Hoffman, & AL Dapper (In Review) Long-term population decline and recombination heterogeneity shape genomic diversity in the American alligator. BioRxiv.

  • Szasz-Green, T, K Shores, V Vanga, L Zacharias, AK Lawton, & AL Dapper (2025) Comparative phylogenetics reveal clade-specific drivers of recombination rate evolution across vertebrates. Molecular Biology & Evolution. 42(5): msaf100.

Dharani Matharage, PhD Student - Biological Sciences

Dharani successfully defended her PhD in Spring 2026 and is currently a postdoc in the Kasimatis lab at the University of Virginia (UVA).

  • Matharage, D, A Khadgi, & AL Dapper (In Review) Inter-strain variation in intra-chromosomal rates of recombination in Caenorhabditis elegans. BioRxiv.

Austin Drury, MS Student - Computational Biology

Austin was co-advised by Dr. Gout and successfully defended his Master’s in 2021.

  • Drury, AL, J-F Gout, & AL Dapper (2023) Modeling recombination rate as a quantitative trait reveals new insight into selection on humans. Genome Biology & Evolution. 15(8): evad132.

Undergraduate Students

Anamica Khadgi, Undergraduate Student

  • Dapper, AL, A Khadgi, & SP Flanagan (In Review) Resolving one form of sexual conflict can exacerbate the other: interactions between intra- and inter-locus sexual conflict.

  • Matharage, D, A Khadgi, & AL Dapper (In Review) Inter-strain variation in intra-chromosomal rates of recombination in Caenorhabditis elegans. BioRxiv.

Jenna Eubanks, Undergraduate Student

Ethan Baca, Undergraduate/MS Student

Vineel Vanga, High School/Undergraduate Student

  • Szasz-Green, T, K Shores, V Vanga, L Zacharias, AK Lawton, & AL Dapper (2025) Comparative phylogenetics reveal clade-specific drivers of recombination rate evolution across vertebrates. Molecular Biology & Evolution. 42(5): msaf100.

Riley Cutler, Undergraduate Student, 2022

Katherynne Shores, Undergraduate Student, 2021

  • Szasz-Green, T, K Shores, V Vanga, L Zacharias, AK Lawton, & AL Dapper (2025) Comparative phylogenetics reveal clade-specific drivers of recombination rate evolution across vertebrates. Molecular Biology & Evolution. 42(5): msaf100.

  • Dapper, AL, GP Slater, K Shores, & BA Harpur (2022) Population Genetics of Reproductive Genes in Arrhenotokous Species. Genome Biology & Evolution. 14(6): evac070.

Luke Zacharias, Undergraduate Student, 2021

  • Szasz-Green, T, K Shores, V Vanga, L Zacharias, AK Lawton, & AL Dapper (2025) Comparative phylogenetics reveal clade-specific drivers of recombination rate evolution across vertebrates. Molecular Biology & Evolution. 42(5): msaf100.

Interested in joining the Dapper Lab?

Please contact me at dapper(at)biology.msstate.edu and include a brief description of your research interests and a CV.

 

Background image by Brandon Cooper.