Welcome to the Fitz Lab!

We are based at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station ( KBS ) in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. We are affiliated with the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior ( EEBB ) program at MSU. 

We are interested in fundamental and applied questions in evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A primary focus of our research is on understanding how evolutionary and ecological processes lead to patterns of adaptation, fitness, and ultimately persistence in small populations. We work on a diversity of organisms in the wild and in the lab using field, experimental, and molecular approaches.   Learn more about the research in our lab!


Our lab strives to celebrate and foster
inclusivity, creativity, and diversity.  






Contact information:

Email: sfitz@msu.edu
 Phone: (269) 671-2264

Physical location:
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Stack Building 238 (office)
Academic Building 222 (dry lab)
Stack Building 243 (molecular lab)
3700 E. Gull Lake Dr.
Hickory Corners, MI 49060

News

August 2019

  • Kyle is awarded a National Geographic Early Career grant for his research on Ecuadorian harlequin toads!!
  • Fitz Lab hosts Mónica Paez-Vacas from Universidad Tecnológia Indoamérica as a visiting KBS scholar
  • Sarah travels to Ecuador to give an invited talk at the International Biogeography Society meeting
  • Juhi and Marggie present at the KBS Undergrad Research Symposiusm

July 2019

June 2019

  • Fitz Lab showed up for Evolution 2019 in Providence: Dan and Isabela presented posters and Brendan gave a talk in the 'small populations' ASN spotlight session that Fitz organized. Link to feature article in Science

May 2019

  • KBS summer programs begin! We welcome new undergraduates Juhi and Marggie to the lab and returning members Al and Dan! 

April 2019

  • Fitz Lab hosts Chris Funk at KBS
  • Sarah heads to Florida to check on the Florida Scrub Jay translocation project and to set up experimental populations of eastern mosquito fish at Archbold Biological Station
  • Congratulations to Isabela Borges for receiving an LTER fellowship! Link to press article 
  • Isabela travels to Brazil for her first sampling expedition in the Campos rupestres biodiversity hotspot

March 2019

  • Kyle and Sarah receive an award from Illumina and the MSU genomics core facility for functional and population genomics of Ecuadorian toads
  • Congratulations to Brendan for receiving a grant from the Black Rock Forest Consortium to use eDNA sampling to survey turtle biodiversity!
  • Sarah and Chris Funk publish a new book chapter on "Genomics for Genetic Rescue" as part of the Population Genomics book series edited by Paul Hohenlohe.

February 2019

January 2019

  • ​Sarah gives an invited seminar for the Department of Biology at Hope College 

December 2018

November 2018

  • Sarah gives an invited seminar for the Department of  Biology at Grand Valley State University - thanks to Jen Moore's lab for hosting!

October 2018

  • Sarah gives an invited seminar at U. of Montana and has a fantastic day  "in the field" with Winsor Lowe and Ryan Kovach. 

August 2018

  • We are thrilled to welcome new PhD students Isabela Borges and Kyle Jaynes to the Fitz Lab! 
  • Al and Sharon present their summer research at the KBS undergraduate research symposium. We will miss them!​​

July 2018

  • Fitz lab is well-represented at JMIH 2018: Brendan gave a lightening talk about high throughput conservation genomics -- Don't Fear the Rapture! Dan gave a talk on local adaptation and thermal tolerance in Rainbow darters, and Kyle presented previous work on diversification of Gian African treefrogs
  • Brendan presents lab research in the 'Local Adaptation for Conservation' symposium at the NACCB meeting in Toronto

May 2018

  • We are excited to welcome Al Nichols (REU) and Sharon Carpenter (Undergraduate Research Assistant) to the Fitz Lab this summer!
  • Dan Oliveira scores an REU supplement grant to return to KBS to continue working on local adaptation and gene flow in Rainbow darters
  • NYC stage prop artist Patricia Escandon paints a sweet lab mural!

January 2018

  • We are thrilled to welcome Brendan Reid as a postdoc!
  • Sarah speaks in the 'Maladaptation' symposium at the standalone ASN meeting in Asilomar