Expertise
Developmental biology, Evolutionary biology
Research Interests
- Elucidation of the developmental and evolutionary origins of the tongue, with specific interest in the activity of SATB2 in these processes.
Education
- B.S.: Zoology, University of New Hampshire
- Minor: Genetics, University of New Hampshire
Biosketch
As a lifelong lover of science and animals, Holly majored in zoology and minored in genetics at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Holly's undergraduate research experience is varied. She completed two marine mammal research internships through Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and Shoals Marine Laboratory, worked in the UNH Aquaponics Greenhouses and then at the UNH Collection of Insects and Other Arthropods. However, it was through her coursework at UNH that she discovered her more specific passion for developmental biology. After graduating, Holly worked for 4 years as an embryologist at Boston In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), using precise and powerful laboratory techniques to create embryos for those seeking fertility treatment. She then began her Ph.D. studies at University of Massachusetts Lowell in applied biology: developmental and evolutionary biology and currently conducts research in the lab of Jennifer Fish, studying the developmental and evolutionary origins of the tongue.
Selected Awards and Honors
- KCS Graduate Poster Presentation Winner (2026) - Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium
- Scientific Talk Runner Up (2026) - UMOVE Student Research Symposium
Selected Publications
- Hoag, H. A., Raymond, M., Ulmer, J. M., Schwéger, S., van de Kamp, T., Hamann, E., ... & Mikó, I. (2025). The cranial gland system of Nasonia spp.: a link between chemical ecology, evo-devo, and descriptive taxonomy (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Journal of Insect Science, 25(2), 13.
Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2026)