Hernan Lopez-Fernandez

Hernan Lopez-Fernandez is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Collections at the University of Michigan's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He also serves as an Associate Curator of Fishes and is affiliated with the Program in the Environment and the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS). His research focuses on understanding the evolutionary processes driving biodiversity in Neotropical freshwater fishes.

Education:

• 2006-2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas A&M University
• 2005-2006 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas at Austin
• 2004 Ph.D., Texas A&M University
• 1998 B.S. in Biology, Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela

Research Interests: Lopez-Fernandez investigates ecological and morphological specialization in driving phylogenetic divergence, integrating systematics, comparative morphology, and ecology. His work includes describing fish diversity, analyzing diversification patterns, and addressing conservation challenges in tropical regions. Key areas include:

• Phylogenetic relationships of Neotropical cichlids
• Ecological assembly and evolutionary history
• Impact of human activities on aquatic biodiversity

Labs & Affiliations: His lab combines fieldwork, museum studies, and genomic approaches. He actively promotes conservation through phylogenetic-informed strategies and explores remote tropical regions for biodiversity documentation.