CV

Education, research and teaching experience, publications, and awards.

Contact Information

Name Lauren E. Frankel
Professional Title Post-doctoral Scholar
Email laufran@uw.edu

Professional Summary

Evolutionary biologist, focusing on plant systematics and hybridization inference methods.

Education

  • 2020 - 2025

    Madison, WI

    PhD
    University of Wisconsin–Madison
    Botany
    • GPA: 4.00 / 4.00
  • 2020 - 2023

    Madison, WI

    MS
    University of Wisconsin–Madison
    Botany
    • GPA: 4.00 / 4.00
  • 2015 - 2019

    Grinnell, IA

    BA with Honors
    Grinnell College
    Biology
    • GPA: 3.72 / 4.00

Selected Research Skills

Coding Languages: Julia (advanced), Bash (intermediate), R (intermediate), Python (intermediate)
Phylogenomics: Plastome and targeted sequence capture assembly, alignment, annotation, tree estimation, simulation of networks, trees, & sequences

Research Experience

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Tribble Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (Oct 2025–Present)
    • Infer phylogenetic relationships and disentangling reticulate evolution between Cheilanthoid ferns (Pteridaceae: Cheilanthoideae) from long-read sequence data
    • Estimate relationship between niche overlap and hybridization histories in Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae)
  • PhD Candidate, C. Ané Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI (Jan 2021–Aug 2025)
    • Simulated the effect of substitution rate variation on hybridization summary statistics, determining most methods tested have high type-1 error in the face of lineage-rate variation
    • Evaluated accuracy of complex admixture graph inference from f-statistics through simulations
    • Assessed the relationship between introgression and trait evolution in Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae)
  • Data Analyst, Espíndola Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (Jul 2019–Jul 2020)
    • Extracted, aligned, and annotated chloroplast genomes in 14 Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae) species towards initial phylogenomic work to resolve the clade’s backbone
    • Estimated backbone genus phylogeny for Calceolaria and modeled biogeography evolution
  • Visiting Undergraduate Researcher, Lagomarsino Lab, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (May 2018–Aug 2018)
    • Compared the efficacy of herbarium vs. fresh tissue samples in phylogenomic analyses using sequence capture data for Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae)
    • Evaluated phylogeographic origins of three co-occurring congeners with differing pollination syndromes
  • Undergraduate Researcher, Reagon Lab, Next-Gen Evolutionary Biology REU, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (May 2017–Jul 2017)
    • Performed ddRAD sequencing and analyzed SNP data to infer population structure of an invasive agricultural weed, Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Teaching Experience

  • Teaching Assistant, Botany Dept., University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI (Aug 2024–Dec 2024)
    • Led three discussion sections for Evolutionary Biology (BOT410) with ~25 students in each section, designing instructional material each week to further understanding of lecture material
    • Developed problem sets, graded assignments and exams, hosted office hours
  • Teaching Assistant, Integrative Biology Dept., University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI (Jan 2021–May 2021)
    • Led four discussion sections for Intro Biology (BIO152) with ~22 students in each section, guiding group activities and reviewing homework to reinforce lecture material
    • Supervised 14 students as they wrote their semester-long independent research papers
  • GIS and R Mentor, Data Analysis and Social Inquiry Lab, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA (Apr 2016–May 2019)
    • TAed for Intro GIS course by offering support in class and holding weekly mentor sessions and office hours
    • Assisted faculty in creating a class exercise for Politics of Congress course using ArcMap
    • Built a Shiny app with R for students to interact with and learn from locally collected biogeochemical data
    • Collaborated with professors to produce maps for academic publications (French, 2018; Inglis, 2019)

Natural History Collections Experience

  • Natural History Collections Assistant, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN (Jun 2015–Aug 2015)
    • Accessioned, catalogued, and reorganized ~800 birds and lichens
    • Rehoused and relabeled ~400 fluid preserved fishes, reptiles, and amphibians
  • Mammalogy Intern, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY (Sep 2014–May 2015)
    • Identified and databased ~3,000 early Quaternary chiropteran fossils
    • Aided in the recuration of carnivoran specimens and improved collections conditions

Publications

Manuscripts in Revision or Preparation

  • Frankel, L., Bedoya, A.M., Arango-Goméz, K., Brigida, N. (undergraduate mentee), Lagomarsino, L., Ané, C. (2026). Introgression and trait evolution in the Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae). In preparation.
  • Wintermute, T., Frankel, L., Kapsner, S., Connelly, B. & Keefover-Ring, K. (2026). Salicinoid salad: evolution of salicinoids in the Salicaceae tribe Saliceae (Populus and Salix). In preparation.

Fellowships & Scholarships ($235,303)

  • Graduate Research Fellowship ($141,000), National Science Foundation, 2020–2025
  • Demeter Research Assistant Award ($5,425), UW-Madison Botany, 2025
  • Allen Graduate Fellowship ($17,325), UW-Madison Botany, 2024
  • Croxdale-Tyron Research Assistant Award ($7,553), UW-Madison Botany, 2021
  • Trustee Honor Scholarship ($64,000), Grinnell College, 2015–2019

Grants ($5,577)

  • Student Research Grants Competition ($1,500), UW-Madison Graduate School, 2025
  • Davis Research Support Award ($1,577), UW-Madison Botany, 2021
  • Open Research Grant ($2,500), Grinnell College, 2018

Honors & Awards ($17,255)

  • George R. Cooley Award ($500), American Society of Plant Taxonomists, 2026 — Best early career talk in plant systematics at annual Botany meeting
  • Ernst Mayr Award Finalist, Society of Systematic Biologists, 2025 — Outstanding Ph.D. student talk in systematics at annual Evolution meeting
  • Tulipa et Paeonia Travel Award ($1,500), UW-Madison Botany, 2025
  • Davis Travel Award ($1,955), UW-Madison Botany, 2024
  • Menzel Award ($500), Botany Conference, 2023 — Outstanding talk in the Genetics section
  • Tulipa et Paeonia Travel Award ($2,000), UW-Madison Botany, 2023
  • Welcome Fund ($5,000), University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2020
  • Undergraduate Research Prize ($300), American Society of Plant Taxonomists, 2019
  • Travel Award ($500), Society of Systematic Biologists Meeting, 2018
  • Seifert Award ($5,000), Grinnell College, 2017 — Supporting field biology study abroad
  • Dean’s List (x3), Grinnell College, 2016–2017

Invited Presentations

  • Lauren Frankel*, Ana Maria Bedoya, Katherin Arango-Goméz, Nicholas Brigida, Laura Lagomarsino, and Cécile Ané. (2026). Introgression and trait evolution in the Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae). American Society of Plant Taxonomists Webinar Series.
  • Lauren Frankel*. (2025). Challenges in inferring hybridization: impacts of substitution rate variation and network complexity on accuracy. University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.

Contributed Presentations

  • Lauren Frankel*, Ana Maria Bedoya, Katherin Arango-Goméz, Nicholas Brigida, Laura Lagomarsino, Cécile Ané. (2026). Introgression and trait evolution in the Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae). Botany, Tucson, AZ. (Cooley Award winner)
  • Lauren Frankel* and Cécile Ané. (2025). Low accuracy of complex graph inference from f-statistics. Evolution, online + Athens, GA. (Mayr Award finalist).
  • Lauren Frankel* and Cécile Ané. (2024). Low accuracy of complex graph inference from f-statistics. Botany Informal Talk Series, UW-Madison.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Cécile Ané. (2024). f-statistics and other summary tests of admixture or introgression are sensitive to rate variation across lineages. Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, Montréal, Canada.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Cécile Ané. (2023). Summary tests of introgression are highly sensitive to rate variation across lineages. Botany Conference, Boise, ID.
  • Cécile Ané* and Lauren Frankel. (2023). Summary tests of introgression are highly sensitive to rate variation across lineages. Mathematical and Computational Evolutionary Biology, Corsica.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Cécile Ané. (2023). Summary tests of introgression are highly sensitive to rate variation across lineages. Botany Informal Talk Series, UW-Madison.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Anahí Espíndola. (2021). Biogeography and ecological drivers of evolution in the Andes: resolving the phylogenetic backbone for Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae). Virtual Evolution Meeting.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Laura Lagomarsino. (2020). The fruit doesn’t fall far from the gene tree: Relationship between fruit type and gene tree discordance in Neotropical Lobelioideae. Botany Virtual Conference lightning talk.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Anahí Espíndola. (2020). Evolutionary history and biogeography of slipperflowers, Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae). Botany Virtual Conference.
  • Lauren Frankel*, Laura Lagomarsino, Simon Uribe-Convers, Monica Carlsen, Alexandre Antonelli, and Nathan Muchhala. (2019). Promises and pitfalls of herbarium phylogenomics: A case study in a Neotropical plant radiation. Grinnell College Biology department seminar.
  • Laura Lagomarsino*, Simon Uribe-Convers, Lauren Frankel, Monica Carlsen, Alexandre Antonelli, and Nathan Muchhala. (2019). Promises and pitfalls of herbarium phylogenomics: A case study in a Neotropical plant radiation. Botany Conference colloquium talk, Rochester, MN.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Michael Reagon. (2018). Untangling the range expansion of an invasive agricultural weed, Palmer amaranth. Grinnell College Biology department seminar.

Selected Contributed Posters

  • Tyler Wintermute*, Lauren Frankel, Sarah Kapsner, Bryan Connelly, and Ken Keefover-Ring. (2025). Salicinoid Salad: Evolution of salicinoids in the Salicaceae tribe Saliceae (Populus and Salix). Plant Herbivore Interaction Gordon Research Conference, Pomona, CA.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Anahí Espíndola. (2020). Evolutionary relationships and plastome structure in slipperflowers (Calceolariaceae: Calceolaria). Society of Systematic Biologists Meeting, Gainesville, FL.
  • Lauren Frankel*, Simon Uribe-Convers, Nathan Muchhala and Laura Lagomarsino. (2019). Promises and pitfalls of herbarium phylogenomics: A case study in a Neotropical plant radiation. Evolution Meetings, Providence, RI.
  • Lauren Frankel* and Michael Reagon. (2017). Untangling the range expansion of an invasive agricultural weed, Palmer amaranth. Next-Gen Evolutionary Biology REU Poster Session.

Invited Workshop Talks

  • Lauren Frankel and Cécile Ané. (2023). Comparative methods on networks, Methodological advances in reticulate evolution workshop. Botany Conference, Boise, ID.

Workshops & Trainings Attended

  • Research Mentor Training, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2024
  • Midwest Phylogenetics Workshop, University of Minnesota, 2019

Society Memberships

  • Society of Systematic Biologists
  • American Society of Plant Taxonomists

Service, Leadership & Mentorship

  • Peer Reviewer: Systematic Biology (4x), Evolution (1x)
  • Organizer / Leader: Phylogenetics Support Group (UW-Madison Botany Dept, 2021–2024), Friday Afternoon Club (weekly graduate student social, UW-Madison Botany Dept, 2022–2024)
  • Committees: Awards Review Panel (UW Biology, Spring 2026), Awards Committee (UW-Madison Botany Dept, 2021–2025), Student Educational Policy Committee (Grinnell College Biology Dept, 2017–2019; peer-elected), Center for Prairie Studies Board (Grinnell College, 2016–2019)
  • Panels: Graduate School Informational Panel (Botany Club of UW-Madison, 2023), Grad School Interview Panel (Latinx in the Marine Sciences, 2021), Strategies for Engaging Undergraduate Researchers (Society of Systematic Biologists Meeting, 2018)
  • Mentoring: Nicholas Brigida (UW-Madison Computer Sciences undergraduate, 2024–2025), GRFP Application Mentoring (Botanical Society of America, 2020–2023)