Paulyn Cartwright

Dr. Paulyn Cartwright is the Baumgartner Professor of Biology at the University of Kansas' Department of Biology. Her research focuses on understanding evolutionary patterns and developmental processes in medusozoans, a clade of cnidarians including jellyfish and hydroids. She investigates genomic approaches to explore medusozoan phylogeny, development, and macroevolutionary trends. Her work integrates comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and developmental biology to address longstanding questions in cnidarian evolution.

Education: Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (1990); Department of Biology, Yale University (1997).

Research interests include invertebrate zoology, comparative genomics, evolution and development, and phylogenetics. Notable projects include studies on medusozoan diversity, cnidarian genome assembly, and venom system specialization. She has secured over $2.8 million in grants, including NSF-funded projects on cnidarian phylogeny and developmental mechanisms.

Her funded activities include collaborative research on cnidarian phylogeny (NSF AToL), molecular studies of myxozoan parasites (NSF IOS), and career development grants integrating phylogenetics and development in hydrozoans. She advises on grants and co-organizes workshops like Hydroidfest and Cnidofest.

Labs/Teams: Directs research in cnidarian genomics and development, with a focus on Hydractinia species as model organisms.