Marine mammals evolved from land-dwelling ancestors that returned to living in the water. As they adapted to their aquatic lifestyle, their skin underwent dramatic changes to suit this new environment. As a result, unlike terrestrial mammals, marine mammals evolved an extraordinary capacity to rapidly heal both superficial skin wounds and deep soft-tissue injuries.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Anna will study skin samples from a range of marine mammals – such as dolphins, whales, manatees, and sea lions – to investigate how their skin evolved during the transition back to life in water.
By developing a laboratory model of marine mammal skin, Anna aims to create a tool to inform conservation efforts and uncover principles of wound healing to support regenerative medicine.
Anna will pivot from Genetics & Genomics to Physiology