Lillian Fritz–Laylin

Lillian Fritz-Laylin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on understanding the evolution of cell motility across diverse organisms, particularly free-living amoebae and fungal pathogens. She employs comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and advanced microscopy to trace the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular movement.

Education: B.A., University of California, Berkeley (2003); Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (2010). Postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco (2010–2017).

Research Interests: Her lab investigates the mechanical and genetic basis of cell crawling, using Naegleria gruberi and other organisms. Key areas include basal body assembly, RNA editing, and the evolutionary origins of motility. Recent work also addresses the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis threatening amphibians globally.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects involving microscopy innovation and genomic analysis. Active in sequencing free-living protists to uncover evolutionary adaptations.