Lexi Baca
Ph.D. Student
Year entered program: 2023
Department: Biology
Mentor: Joe Cook, Ph.D.
Interests: GeneticsLexi Baca grew up in Bernalillo, New Mexico, where she was captivated by the outdoors from an early age. When she was not doing homework, Baca would be outside collecting frogs and tadpoles or crafting rollie-pollie towns, and she knew her calling involved animals.
After high school, Baca attended the University of New Mexico and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology. As her undergraduate journey neared, uncertainty about her future career lingered. That's when she encountered a Mammalogy course taught by Dr. Joseph Cook, a distinguished professor at UNM and the curator of mammals at the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB). This course piqued her interest in museum work, and she started volunteering at the MSB, acquiring skills related to museum curation.
Post-graduation, Baca secured a research position in Dr. Cook's lab, focusing on the mitonuclear discordance of five-toed jerboas. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project also involved collaboration with Dr. Jason Malaney at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This opportunity led Baca to a fieldwork opportunity in Mongolia, contributing to a multi-institutional project called STEPP-NET. Currently working on her Ph.D., Baca continues to delve into the evolutionary intricacies of her study of species and other related projects, including DNA barcoding of diverse species, describing a new type of Ctenomys, and offering research guidance to students at various academic levels.
Department: Biology
Mentor: Joe Cook, Ph.D.
Interests: Genetics
Bio
After high school, Baca attended the University of New Mexico and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology. As her undergraduate journey neared, uncertainty about her future career lingered. That's when she encountered a Mammalogy course taught by Dr. Joseph Cook, a distinguished professor at UNM and the curator of mammals at the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB). This course piqued her interest in museum work, and she started volunteering at the MSB, acquiring skills related to museum curation.
Post-graduation, Baca secured a research position in Dr. Cook's lab, focusing on the mitonuclear discordance of five-toed jerboas. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project also involved collaboration with Dr. Jason Malaney at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This opportunity led Baca to a fieldwork opportunity in Mongolia, contributing to a multi-institutional project called STEPP-NET. Currently working on her Ph.D., Baca continues to delve into the evolutionary intricacies of her study of species and other related projects, including DNA barcoding of diverse species, describing a new type of Ctenomys, and offering research guidance to students at various academic levels.
