J. Andrés López

J. Andrés López serves as Associate Professor in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Curator of Fishes at the University of Alaska Museum. His research integrates morphological and genetic methodologies to investigate fish diversity, systematics, and evolutionary patterns in Arctic and Beringian ecosystems.

His academic credentials include:

• B.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama
• M.S. in Fisheries from the University of Washington
• Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University
• Postdoctoral training in Fish Molecular Systematics at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago

Dr. López specializes in fish systematics, phylogeography, and population genetics with emphasis on Alaskan and Beringian species. His work examines taxonomic boundaries, glacial cycle impacts on fish diversity, and environmental DNA applications for biodiversity monitoring. Current projects investigate lake trout phylogeography, Arctic lamprey population genetics, whitefish taxonomic boundaries, and Bering Land Bridge fish dispersal patterns.

Recent publications demonstrate strong integration of traditional ecological knowledge with genomic approaches to address hybridization events, climate change impacts, and conservation challenges in northern fish populations. His research increasingly utilizes environmental DNA for non-invasive fish monitoring across remote Alaskan landscapes.

He actively mentors graduate students Sydney Almgren, Maggie Harings, Habiba Moshfeka, and Anna Rix. Research funding supports fieldwork across Alaska focusing on fish evolutionary biology and conservation genomics.

Dr. López leads the López Lab which collaborates with the University of Alaska Museum and indigenous communities. The lab conducts extensive fieldwork throughout Alaska, combining museum collection resources with contemporary genetic techniques to address pressing questions in fish evolution and biodiversity conservation.