Please note: Morrison Planetarium will be closed for maintenance Feb. 24–26.
Get to know some of the scientists and researchers who lead our efforts in the field, push the boundaries of what's known about Earth's biodiversity, and care for the nearly 60,000 live animals at the Academy itself.
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Moe Flannery, collections manager of birds and mammals, leads marine mammal stranding response at the Academy.
Shannon Tushingham, chair of anthropology, studies human-environmental interactions in North America.
Rayna Bell, assistant curator of herpetology, studies the evolution, ecology, and visual systems of frogs.
Peter Roopnarine, curator of geology, is an expert on paleontology, deep time, and the evolution of ecosystems.
Pim Bongaerts applies genomics and field ecology to his research into coral reef biodiversity and evolution.
Rebecca Albright studies coral biology and reproduction and co-leads the Academy's Hope for Reefs initiative.
An arachnologist, Lauren Esposito studies the processes and patterns of evolution in spiders and scorpions.
Meet Academy ichthyologist Luiz Rocha who studies the ecology and evolution of coral reef fishes.
Shannon Bennett studies infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
As Director of Steinhart Aquarium, Bart Shepherd oversees the Academy’s nearly 60,000 live plants and animals.
Jack Dumbacher's interests include the ecology and evolution of birds and molecular ecology.
Brian Fisher specializes in the large-scale discovery, description, and naming of African and Malagasy ants.
Rich Mooi studies the origin and evolution of echinoderms—a group that includes sea urchins and starfish.
Michelle Trautwein studies flies and a breathtaking diversity of organisms that cohabitate with humans.
Gary Williams is one of the world’s experts on octocorals, deep-sea corals, and coral reefs.
Emeritus Chair of Aquatic Biology, McCosker studies white sharks and the marine life of the Galápagos Islands.
Herpetologist Robert Drewes has conducted field research in 30 different African countries since 1969.
As Director of Morrison Planetarium, Ryan Wyatt oversees the largest digital fulldome planetarium in the world.