Current lab members
Principal Investigator: Dr. Lauren Petrullo
[curriculum vitae] | email me at: petrullo@unc.edu
Lauren is an evolutionary ecologist and organismal biologist interested in how animals navigate life. She was the first in her family to attend college, and is a proud NYU alumnus. After college, she went on to complete her PhD at Stony Brook University before heading to the University of Michigan to complete a three-year NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology ("Rules of Life"). She joined the Department of Biology at UNC Chapel Hill in summer 2026 following three years in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. She's interested in how animals cope with environmental instability and all things microbiome, especially understanding if and how host-associated microbiota play a role in the broader ecology and evolution of animal populations; endocrinology, life history, phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects. When not working, she's probably chasing around her spirited toddler or dogs.
Dr. Gabriele Schiro, postdoctoral researcher
(co-advised with Dr. Taichi Suzuki)
Gabri joined the Petrullo lab after working as a computing scientist at the PANDA core for genomics and microbiome research at the University of Arizona. Fascinated by microbes—the simplest yet most complex form of life, Gabri now wants to know more about host-microbiome interactions, microbiome community assembly and host-microbiome co-evolution. He has a love-hate relationship with bioinformatics: it’s love when the code works, and hate when it doesn’t. When he's not analyzing data, you'll find him riding his bike, strumming his guitar, or adventuring through the Sonoran Desert. You can read more about Gabri's work and interests at his website here.
Dr. Zachary Compton, postdoctoral researcher
Zachary received his doctorate in Evolutionary Biology from Arizona State University and subsequently completed a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. He is interested in all the intersections that medicine makes with evolutionary theory, particularly comparative oncology - the study of cancer across the tree of life. Much of his work has focused on applying comparative phylogenetics to understand how evolutionary change shapes disease risk. Zach is passionate about student mentorship, a passion that culminated in founding the Arizona Cancer Evolution (ACE) Scholars program, which has since grown into one of the largest undergraduate research training programs in the country. Outside the lab, Zach enjoys fly fishing and exploring the desert Southwest.
Dr. Claudia Tranquillo, postdoctoral researcher
Claudia completed her doctorate in Environmental Sciences at the University of Insubria in Italy, where she investigated behavioral and physiological responses of Eurasian red squirrels, as well as their population dynamics, across environments ranging from urban to natural. She is now interested in exploring host-microbiome interactions in wild animal populations, and how the microbiome influences physiology, behavior, and ecology, this time working with the American red squirrel as a model species. When she is not in the field or the lab, she enjoys wildlife photography, capturing wild animals in both everyday contexts and remote environments. You can learn more about Claudia on her website: https://claudiatranquillo.weebly.com/
.jpg)
Natalie Morris, Ph.D. student
Natalie is a PhD student in EEB and a University Fellow who joined the Petrullo Lab in Fall 2024, after she completed her undergraduate degree at Cornell University. Broadly, Natalie is interested in physiological ecology, developmental plasticity, and host-microbe interactions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys lifting weights, riding horses, house music, and hiking. You can read more about Natalie at her website here.
Pranav Bellur, Ph.D. student
Pranav is a first year PhD student joining the Petrullo Lab at UNC Chapel Hill this August. After growing up in Mumbai, he moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, majoring in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. After graduating in 2023, he remained at UCLA to complete a 2-year MS in Daniel Blumstein’s lab, researching the effects of domestic cat density on avian risk assessment in Los Angeles. Broadly, he is interested in understanding how animals respond to anthropogenic environmental change by integrating environmental cues into behavioral, physiological, and life-history plasticity, how these plastic responses shape individual fitness, and how their fitness consequences scale up to influence demographic processes and long-term population persistence. Outside of research, Pranav is passionate about teaching and enjoys weightlifting, basketball, cooking, hiking, and birdwatching.
Isabella Reyes, Ph.D. student
Isabella joined the Petrullo Lab as an EEOB PhD student in Fall 2026, following her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida. She is interested in how organisms adapt to rapidly changing environments, with research interests centered on phenotypic plasticity, host-microbiome interactions, and ecological physiology. When she isn't at the bench or in the field, you can find her baking, dancing, or crocheting.
Lab alumni
Allyson Placko 2024-2026
postbac researcher and lab manager
now PhD student at University of Arizona
Abby Pearse 2024-2026
undergrad researcher and Honor's student
now PhD student at University of Georgia
McKenzie Matlock 2024-2026
undergrad researcher