Emily Latch

Emily K. Latch is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, within the College of Letters & Science. Her research focuses on conservation genetics, population genomics, and evolutionary ecology, addressing how ecological and anthropogenic factors shape species evolution and inform wildlife management. She leads the Latch Lab, which studies biodiversity genomics in species such as deer, bats, tortoises, and seals.

Education includes a PhD in Population Genetics from Purdue University (2004), with postdoctoral training at the Smithsonian Institution and Purdue University. Her work emphasizes applying genetic tools to conservation challenges, including managing hybrid swarms, optimizing translocations, and mitigating threats like chronic wasting disease.

Research projects include phylogeography of mule deer, genetic management of bison, and genomic studies of Hawaiian monk seals. She collaborates with federal agencies and academic partners, publishing extensively on topics like MHC variation, pedigree-based conservation, and landscape genetics.

Her lab supports graduate students and postdocs, such as recent PhD graduate Dr. Ling Yi and new members Billie Harrison and Anaïs Tallon. Key contributions include developing genomic resources for wildlife species and advancing methods for analyzing genetic data in conservation contexts.