My Background
About Me
My name is Malia Santos, and I earned my Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Wyoming, where I worked in the Tank Lab studying phylogenomics in Tricalysia and Castilleja. Beginning in November 2025, I will join Dr. Stacey Smith’s lab at the University of Colorado Boulder as a postdoctoral scholar, where I will study Physalis phylogenetics and macroevolution.
I graduated from Willamette University with a B.A. in Biology under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Smith, where I studied the effects of climate change on Joshua trees using empirical and simulation-based approaches. After graduation, I continued working as a field technician during the spring and summer seasons, helping coordinate citizen science experiments and supporting Dr. Smith’s research on yucca–yucca moth interactions, hybridization between sister species, and the impacts of climate change on Joshua trees. I received honors for my senior thesis research, which investigated the genetic differentiation between two subspecies of Great Bustards (Otis tarda), in collaboration with the Eurasian Bustard Alliance and Dr. Mimi Kessler.
I then spent a year as a Research Technician in Dr. Regina Baucom’s lab at the University of Michigan, where I assisted with multiple projects and maintained the laboratory and greenhouse facilities for students and the PI. My work included investigating differences in rhizosphere microbial communities among color varieties of the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), studying the genes underlying leaf shape in the wild sweet potato (Ipomoea trifida), and researching herbicide resistance in I. purpurea.
I began my Ph.D. journey at the University of Idaho under the direction of Dr. David Tank and Dr. Jack Sullivan. I moved to the University of Wyoming in August 2021 when Dr. Tank became Director of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium. I also worked as a research assistant in Dr. Tank’s lab, studying the population genetics and phylogenomics of the rare, endemic desert yellowhead (Yermo).
I was born and raised in Hawaiʻi and am proud of my Native Hawaiian heritage. In my free time, I enjoy tending to my houseplants, hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and practicing yoga.
CV
Find my CV here.