Troy M. LaPolice, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Princeton University
I use computational and genomic approaches to understand how populations change through time and what evolutionary history can reveal about biological processes that cannot be directly observed.
During my Ph.D. in the Huber Lab at The Pennsylvania State University, I studied evolutionary questions that genomic data alone could not fully resolve. My research combined evolutionary simulation, population genomics, ancient DNA, and computational methods to investigate questions ranging from the spread of agriculture, to the consequences of hybridization, to purifying selection and deleterious variation in the genome. Across these systems, I became particularly interested in how integrative computational approaches can be used to interrogate the mechanisms underlying observed biological variation. This led me to ask when different evolutionary processes can produce similar observations, what additional evidence can help distinguish them, and when knowledge of evolutionary history can improve predictions of future change.
As a postdoctoral researcher in the vonHoldt Lab at Princeton University, I am continuing to explore biological systems whose complexity requires integrative computational approaches, with Red wolf conservation providing an especially powerful example. I am studying “ghost wolves”—canids that retain red wolf ancestry outside the currently managed red wolf population—and what they can reveal about the evolutionary and conservation histories of North American canids.
Prior to my Ph.D., I completed my B.S. with Interdisciplinary Honors at the University of New Hampshire in 2021, where I addressed biases in transcriptome and genome assembly as part of the MacManes Lab.
Across my research, I am interested in a common set of questions: When can genomic evidence distinguish the evolutionary histories that produced contemporary variation, when does knowledge of those histories improve predictions of future change, and what additional observations can help when genomic evidence alone is insufficient? LaPolice-Science
Research
Learn about my research vision
I am interested in understanding how evolutionary history shapes biological variation, when it can be reconstructed from the patterns it leaves behind, and when it can help predict future change. On the research page, you can learn more about the questions that guide my work.
Scientific Outreach
Explore outreach and activities meant to increase inclusivity and participation in science
I have had the opportunity to participate in several scientific student organizations while at Penn State. These organizations are all geared towards increasing participation within the scientific community.
Beyond Science
Creating a community on campus— learn about my efforts to assist students with the transition to university.
My most unique extracurricular activity is my work towards increasing inclusivity and belonging on campus, using sport as a vehicle. I am very proud of what I have accomplished in my various roles towards this goal. Read more about this mission in the Beyond Science Page.