Alexandra Bely

Alexandra Bely is a Professor and Director of the Biology Honors Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds affiliations with the Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics (BEES) and Molecular & Cellular Biology (MOCB) graduate programs. Her research focuses on the evolution of regeneration and asexual reproduction in invertebrates, particularly freshwater annelids, integrating developmental, ecological, and molecular approaches.

Education: B.S. in General Biology from University of Maryland (1991), Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from SUNY-Stony Brook (1999), postdoctoral work in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC-Berkeley (1999–2002).

Research emphasizes freshwater annelid biology, including their ecological roles, life histories, and regenerative capacities. Notable contributions include studies on regeneration mechanisms, evolutionary patterns of regeneration, and phylogenetic diversity of annelids. The Bely Lab explores topics such as cell type diversity in annelids and the trade-offs between regeneration and asexual reproduction.

Grants: Received a major NSF award (2019) for research on regeneration and asexual reproduction. Advising: Mentors graduate students in evolutionary and developmental biology. Labs/Teams: Leads the Bely Lab, collaborating internationally on annelid research projects.