Thomas Duda

Thomas Duda is Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Assistant Curator of Molluscs at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. His research integrates molecular genetics, ecology, and evolutionary biology to study molluscan diversification and adaptation.

• PhD from Harvard University (1999)
• Research Associate at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute since 2004

Research focuses on evolutionary history and adaptations in molluscs, particularly the Conus genus. Key areas include:

• Molecular phylogenies of molluscs
• Evolution of conotoxin gene families
• Feeding specialization mechanisms
• Population genetic connectivity
• Historical demography
• Hybridization impacts on diversification

Recent work through the PolyCone project examines:

• Ecology of cone snails in French Polynesia
• Microbial communities in Conus species
• Evolution of collecting behaviors in xenophorids
• Associations between spionid annelids and cone snails

Lab members include graduate students Diana Carolina Vergara Florez and Yu Kai Tan, with contributions from undergraduates like Andrea Hassig. Collaborations span:

• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
• CRIOBE (French Polynesia)
• National Science Foundation projects
• Belmont Forum international initiatives

Major funded projects involve:

• NSF-supported venom evolution studies
• Digitization of invasive freshwater molluscs
• University of Michigan Associate Professor Support Funds for transcriptome analyses
• National Geographic Committee on Research and Exploration grants