Our team
Principal Investigator: Dr. Lauren Petrullo
[cv] [google scholar]
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/
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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.
Allyson Placko, postbac researcher and lab manager
Ally is a UA grad interested broadly interested in disease ecology and the microbiome's role within it. Particularly, parasite-microbiome dynamics and their effect on symptomatic vs asymptomatic disease. She previously worked with a number of different established and emerging plant viruses as well as on the Galapagos islands working with Darwin's finches and Avian Pox, to understand viral diversity, spread, and disease.
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Abby Pearse, undergraduate researcher
Abby is a senior Honor's undergraduate student majoring in bioinformatics and minoring in marine science. She joined the Petrullo lab in the fall of 2024, and she is predominantly interested in different types of community ecology. In her free time, she enjoys all things outdoors and reading.
McKenzie Matlock, undergraduate researcher
McKenzie is as senior undergraduate student at the University of Arizona. She is majoring in EEB and became a part of the Petrullo lab in the fall of 2024. McKenzie is broadly interested in different types of environmental interactions. When not doing school, she enjoys getting outdoors, reading, traveling, or baking.