Jake graduated from the University of Exeter (UK) with a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences. He then earned a MSc in Evolutionary Biology and PhD in Evolutionary Organismal Biology from Uppsala University (Sweden) studying vertebrate skeletal evo-devo using zebrafish as a model organism in the laboratory of Tatjana Haitina. This research included genomic analysis of evolutionarily conserved regulatory elements, generating transgenic and mutant zebrafish lines, and 3D phenotypic analysis using synchrotron X-ray scanning to understand how cartilage, bone, and connective tissues are patterned. After being introduced to nematodes at the MBL’s Embryology course, he joined the Sherwood lab as a postdoctoral fellow and is investigating the stress response during AC invasion. Outside the lab, he enjoys cooking, weightlifting, and fossil hunting.
