Christina Zakas

Christina Zakas is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University's Department of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on evolutionary and developmental genetics, using marine invertebrates as model organisms to study the genetic basis of life-history evolution. She is affiliated with the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology concentration and multiple graduate programs, including Functional Genomics, Genetics, and the Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA). Her lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understand genetic mechanisms in ecological and evolutionary contexts.

Dr. Zakas is involved in teaching and mentoring within the Biological Sciences department. Her work bridges developmental and evolutionary biology, leveraging marine systems to address fundamental questions in genetics. She maintains an active research program supported by institutional resources and collaborates with affiliated academic programs at NC State.