Catherine Chen
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB #3280, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
catherine.chen@unc.edu | http://catherine-chen.weebly.com/
Education
Ph.D. candidate, Biology Anticipated graduation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) August 2021
B.S. Biology with honors & B.S. Evolutionary Anthropology 2012 – 2016
Duke University, summa cum laude
Experience
Graduate Research Fellow with Dr. Karin Pfennig 2016 – Present
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Conduct research on evolution and behavior in toads to explain patterns of diversity.
ImPACT Scholar with Research, Innovation and Global Solutions Office 2020
UNC-CH Gillings School of Public Health at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Conduct research development to facilitate acquisition of funding for researchers.
Research Intern with Dr. Brian Silliman 2015 – 2016
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER and Duke University Marine Lab, Sapelo Island, GA
Independently conducted experimental fieldwork to study trade-offs of snail behavior.
Research Assistant with Dr. Sönke Johnsen and Eleanor Caves 2014 – 2016
Duke University, Durham, NC
Researched role of cleaner shrimp motion signals in attracting client fish.
Animal Behavior Intern 2012 – 2016
Duke Lemur Center, Durham, NC
Observed behavior of lemurs, with the goal of providing improved enrichment.
NSF REU Intern with Dr. Richard Glor 2014
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Studied role of signaling behavior in evolution of subspecies of anole lizards.
Research Assistant with Dr. Craig McClain 2013
Duke University, Durham, NC
Examined evolution of body size of marine megafauna.
Education and Environmental Outreach Intern 2013
ProWorld Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Created a grant database, planted 4000+ trees for reforestation, and taught English to adults.
Research Assistant with Dr. Manuel Leal 2012 – 2013
Duke University, Durham NC
Tested visual acuity of anole lizards.
Fellowships and Awards
Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation; $102000 2018 – Present
Doctoral Merit Assistantship, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; $20000 2016 – 2017
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Phi Beta Kappa, Duke University 2015
Dean’s List, Duke University 2012 – 2015
Dean’s List with Distinction, Duke University Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2016
National Merit Scholarship; $2500 2012
Grants
American Museum of Natural History, Southwestern Research Station, AZ; $2115 2019
Graduate & Professional Student Travel Award, UNC-CH; $400; declined 2019
Apacheria Fellowship, Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society; 2019
$320
Student Travel Award, International Society for Behavioral Ecology; $500 2018
Graduate Student Research Grant, Chicago Herpetological Society; $1000 2018
Rosemary Grant Award for Graduate Student Research, Society for the Study of Evolution; 2017
$1550
Grants in Aid of Research, Sigma Xi; $1000 2017
McCarley Research Award, Southwestern Association of Naturalists; $1000 2017
Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship, Duke University; $2185 2015
Publications
Chen C, Morton JP, Silliman BR. In prep. Predation likely constrains evolution of high-level
cultivation in a fungal-farming snail.
Chen C, Pfennig KS. 2020. Female toads engaging in adaptive hybridization prefer high-quality
heterospecifics as mates. Science 367(6484): 1377-9. doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz5109
Subject of a Science Perspective article by Marlene Zuk.
Featured on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio program Quirks & Quarks.
Covered by Inside Science and Bionieuws (in Dutch).
Caves EM*, Chen C*, Johnsen S. 2019. The cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis adjusts its
behavior towards predatory versus non-predatory clients. Biology Letters 15: 20195034.
doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0534
*equal contribution.
Covered by The New York Times.
McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, Dove ADM, Helm RR,
Hochberg FGE, Gaskins LC, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN,
Thaler AD. 2015. Sizing ocean giants. PeerJ. doi.org/10.7717/peerj.715
Covered by 65+ media outlets in 7 languages, including Scientific American, National Geographic, The
Washington Post, MSN, and Newsweek.
Named among Altmetric’s “Top 100 Articles of 2015.”
Presentations
Chen C, Pfennig KS. 2019. “Female toads preferentially hybridize with high-quality
heterospecifics.” Evolution Meeting 2019 (Oral presentation).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwqEDwSrfZI
Chen C, Pfennig KS. 2019. “Hybridization and mate-choice in spadefoot toads.” UNC-CH, Biology
lunch-bunch series (Seminar).
Chen C, Pfennig KS. 2019. “Female toads adaptively hybridize with high-quality heterospecifics.”
UNC-CH, Women in Science Symposium (Poster).
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Chen C, Pfennig KS. 2018. “Female toads adaptively hybridize with high-quality heterospecifics.”
International Society for Behavioral Ecology Meeting 2018 (Poster).
Chen C, Caves EM, Johnsen S. 2016. “Advertisement of cleaner shrimp in the genus Lysmata.”
Duke University Biology Honors Theses Symposium (Poster).
Chen C, Morton JP, Silliman B. 2015. “Fungal farming by snails.” Georgia Coastal Ecosystems
LTER Schoolyard program (Oral).
Addressed an audience of 50+ elementary and middle school science teachers.
Chen C, Morton JP, Silliman BR. 2015. “The evolution of fungal farming by snails.” University of
Georgia Marine Institute (Seminar).
Chen C, Glor RE. 2014. “The role of stereotyped display behavior in speciation in the lizard Anolis
distichus.” University of Kansas Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Oral and poster).
Teaching and Mentorship
Teaching Assistantships:
Genetics and Molecular Biology (Biology 202) 2017 & 2018
Animal Behavior (Biology 278L) 2018
Anatomy and Physiology (Biology 252L) 2017
Invited Lectures:
Herpetology (Duke University) 2020
Gave an hour-long talk about acoustic communication in anurans and my research.
Evolutionary Mechanisms (Biology 471) 2019
Behavioral Ecology (Biology 469) 2018
Undergraduates Mentored:
Biology 395 and Biology 495 are classes where students conduct independent research.
Courtney Byrd (Biology 395 & Biology 495) 2018 – Present
Madia Brown (Biology 395) 2019
Amelia Barber (Biology 395) 2017 – 2018
Now a research technician at the Tucker Lab (UNC-CH Biology).
Lauren Umberger (Biology 395 & Biology 495 & REU student) 2017 – 2018
Now a student at the NC State School of Veterinary Medicine.
Connor Barringer (Biology 395) 2017
Lauren Wiltsek (volunteer) 2017
Science Communication
EvoBites, Co-Editor in Chief 2017 – Present
Coordinate a popular science blog about evolutionary biology.
ComSciCon-Triangle organizer 2017 – 2018
Organized a workshop on science communication for STEM graduate students.
Science Writing and Communication Club at UNC-CH, Member 2017 – 2018
Contributing writer to The Pipette Pen, UNC-CH’s science writing club website.
Chen C. How to keep an ocean sunfish clean. Scientific American Guest Blog. 2017
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-to-keep-an-ocean-sunfish-clean/
Deep Sea News and Story of Size, Blogger 2014
Wrote popular-science articles about the biological importance of body size.
DSN has an audience of 100,000+ unique visitors monthly.
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Service
Peer Review: The American Naturalist, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United
Kingdom.
Society for the Study of Evolution Graduate Student Advisory Council member 2020 – Present
Representing interests of students and post-docs in the evolutionary biology community.
GRFP Peer Review Workshop reviewer 2019
Critically reviewed GRFP applications of graduate students from different departments.
Carolina Women in STEM Panel panelist 2019
Talked to undergraduate women about research and graduate school.
UNC-CH Biology Graduate Student Association member 2016 – 2019
Represented Biology graduate student interests to the department.
Outreach
Reptile & Amphibian Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 2019
Talked with museum visitors (~7000) about evolution and ecology of spadefoot toads.
DNA Day Ambassador 2017 & 2018
Taught 200 NC high school students about DNA and personalized medicine.
Science Expo through the North Carolina Science Festival 2017 & 2018
Taught attendees about desert toads and their evolution and behavior.
SciREN attendee 2017
Created a lesson plan for teachers to use for 6th-8th grade biology classes.
Science Firsthand Ambassador 2017
Led a lab tour for incoming UNC-CH honors students.
Skype a Scientist 2017
Talked with a class of 20+ Puerto Rican high school students about biological research and
career options for scientists.
Darwin Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 2017
Created and led children through activities designed to increase understanding of evolution.
5000+ visitors participated in Darwin Day.
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Schoolyard program 2015
Led 13 elementary and middle school teachers through fieldwork and discussing how to
integrate it into curricula.
Professional Affiliations
American Society of Naturalists 2019 – Present
Society for the Study of Evolution 2017 – Present
International Society for the Study of Behavioural Ecology 2018 – 2019
Additional Press
https://endeavors.unc.edu/catherine-chen/
https://college.unc.edu/2018/01/making-scientists/
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