Julia Tejada

Julia Tejada is an Assistant Professor of Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), holding a joint appointment across Geological and Planetary Sciences, Biology, and Environmental Science divisions. She is a William H. Hurt Scholar (2024–present) and maintains her laboratory in the Seeley W. Mudd Building, where she leads research integrating geobiology and geochemistry to explore Earth's evolutionary history.

Education:

• B.Sc., Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 2008
• M.Sc., University of Florida, 2015
• M.A., Columbia University, 2017
• M.Phil, Columbia University, 2019
• Ph.D., Columbia University, 2020

Research Focus: Dr. Tejada's work centers on evolutionary ecology of modern and fossil vertebrates through stable isotope geochemistry, phylogenetic analyses, and morphoanatomical studies. Her lab investigates diet as an evolutionary driver, physiological mechanisms of isotopic variation, trace-quantity isotope methodology, and Amazonian ecosystem responses to climate extremes. This integrative approach bridges paleontology, geochemistry, and ecology to decode deep-time biodiversity patterns.

Publication Trends: Her 2020–2025 publications reveal concentrated expertise in Neotropical vertebrate paleontology (particularly xenarthrans, rodents, and primates) and stable isotope applications. Key themes include Amazonian biogeographic history across the Eocene–Pliocene, methodological innovations in isotope ecology, and fossil mammal responses to climatic transitions—demonstrating consistent use of geochemical tools to reconstruct ancient ecosystems.

Awards:

• William H. Hurt Scholar (2024–present)

Advising & Grants: While specific students and grants aren't detailed in source materials, her active fieldwork in Peruvian Amazonia and advanced laboratory techniques imply substantial grant support. She co-instructs Caltech's quantitative ecology course (Ge/Bi/BE/CNS/ESE 147), emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches to ecosystem dynamics.

Research Team: Dr. Tejada's lab operates as a dynamic hub for geobiological innovation, combining experimental physiology, isotope mass spectrometry, and field paleontology. The team actively develops new methods for analyzing trace organic compounds and investigates climate–ecosystem interactions in Amazonia, welcoming collaborators from diverse scientific backgrounds to address frontier questions in evolutionary biology.