Tonia S. Schwartz

Tonia S. Schwartz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, within the College of Science and Mathematics. Her research integrates genomics, physiology, and ecology to study molecular stress response networks, aging, and life history evolution in natural populations of reptiles, birds, and Daphnia. She leads an active research lab with postdocs, PhD and MS students, and undergraduate researchers.

Education:

• Post-doctoral Fellow in Complexity Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2013–2015
• Ph.D. in Genetics, Iowa State University, 2012
• M.S. in Zoology, University of South Florida, 2003
• B.S. in Zoology, Iowa State University, 1998

Her research interests include the evolution of the Insulin and Insulin-like Signaling (IIS) pathway, epigenetics, mitochondrial energetics, and conservation genetics. She investigates how environmental stressors regulate life history traits like reproduction and longevity, bridging evolutionary biology and biomedical research. Her work often involves field studies, molecular lab work, and computational analysis of genomic data.

The recent publications reflect a strong focus on stress response networks, aging, and molecular evolution across diverse taxa. Key themes include sexual dimorphism in aging, island dwarfism, mitochondrial function, and the genetic basis of life history trade-offs. Her work frequently employs non-traditional model organisms such as lizards and reptiles to uncover evolutionary mechanisms relevant to human health and conservation.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Dr. Schwartz actively mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers and has secured external funding, including an NIH R15 grant for her Aging Anole Project. She collaborates with researchers across institutions and is involved in conservation initiatives such as the gopher tortoise head-start program. Her lab emphasizes inclusivity, open science, and training the next generation of scientists.

The Schwartz Lab maintains active research teams working on projects such as the Aging Anoles Project (NIH-funded), Stress: Damage-Fitness Project (NSF-funded), and the Channel Island Dwarf Reptiles Project. The lab develops molecular resources for non-model organisms and integrates field, lab, and computational approaches to address fundamental questions in functional and ecological genomics.