APPOINTMENTS
  • NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, UC Riverside (Jan 2025 —)
  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Dept. of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California (2023-2024)

​EDUCATION
  • PhD — August 2023 — Cornell University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • MS — August 2017 — California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Biology
  • BS — March 2013 — University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Biology
  • Transfer Credit — July 2010 — Glendale Community College, General Education

PUBLICATIONS
  1. Akopyan M, Genchev M, Armstrong EE, Mooney JA. "Divergent reference genomes compromise the reconstruction of demographic histories, selection scans, and population genetic summary statistics." bioRxiv (2024). https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.26.625554
  2. Akopyan M, Tigano A, Jacobs A, Wilder AP, Therkildsen NO. "Genetic differentiation is constrained to chromosomal inversions and putative centromeres in locally adapted populations with higher gene flow." bioRxiv (2024). doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.20.619329
  3. de Sá FB, Akopyan M, Santana EM, Haddad CFB, Zamudio KR. "Mitonuclear and phenotypic discordance in an Atlantic Forest frog hybrid zone." Ecology and Evolution (2024). doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70262
  4. Pascal FJM, Vega A, Akopyan M, Hoke KL, Robertson JM. "Sexual signal evolution and patterns of assortative mating across an intraspecific contact zone." Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2023). doi.org/10.1111/jeb.14186
  5. Akopyan M, Tigano A, Jacobs A, Wilder AP, Baumann H, Therkildsen NO. "Comparative linkage mapping uncovers recombination suppression across massive chromosomal inversions associated with local adaptation in Atlantic silversides." Molecular Ecology (2022). doi.org/10.1111/mec.16472
  6. Clark MI, Bradburd GS, Akopyan M, Vega A, Rosenblum EB, Robertson JM. "Genetic isolation by distance underlies colour pattern divergence in red‐eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas)." Molecular Ecology (2022). doi.org/10.1111/mec.16350
  7. Akopyan M, Gompert Z, Klonoski K, Vega A, Kaiser K, Mackelprang M, Rosenblum EB, Robertson JM. "Genetic and phenotypic evidence of a contact zone between divergent colour morphs of the iconic red‐eyed treefrog." Molecular Ecology (2020). doi.org/10.1111/mec.15639
  8. Akopyan M, Kaiser K, Vega A, Savant NG, Owen CY, Dudgeon SR, Robertson JM. “Melodic males and flashy females: Geographic variation in male and female reproductive behavior in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas).” Ethology (2017). doi.org/10.1111/eth.12705

In prep (available upon request)
  • Akopyan M†, Jacobs A†, Rick JA, Wilder AP, Conover DO, Baumann H, Therkildsen NO. "Multiple chromosomal inversions modulate local adaptation across a steep thermal cline." †equal contribution
  • Edwards EM, Akopyan M, Mosher BA, Therkildsen NO, Sullivan P. "Six genetically distinct endangered cricket frog populations identified in New York: implications for reintroduction efforts and management."

AWARDS AND HONORS
Postdoc
  • Wisconsin Evolution Early Career Award
  • NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB)

PhD
  • Finalist for W. D. Hamilton Award at Evolution Meeting
  • Provost Diversity Fellow Cornell Graduate School
  • Andrew ’78 and Margaret Paul Graduate Fellow in Cornell EEB
  • Whittaker Award for Best Student Talk in Cornell EEB
  • Book Award for Best First Year Talk in Cornell EEB
  • Cornell Center for Vertebrate Genomics Scholar
  • SUNY Graduate Diversity Fellow ​
MS
  • CSUN Biology Outstanding Graduate Student Award
  • Mack I. Johnson Award for Outstanding Graduate Student
  • Nathan O. Freedman Award for Outstanding Graduate Student
  • Associated Students Scholarship in Honor of Jolene Koester
  • CSUN Graduate Equity Program
  • CSUN Outstanding Promise in Research in Science and Math
  • Experiment.com Crowdfunding for Scientific Research Campaign
  • Sally Casanova Pre-doctoral Scholar
  • Bob and Doris Tracy Memorial Scholarship
  • Leslie and Terry Cutler Scholarship Endowment
  • CSUN Association of Retired Faculty Memorial Award
  • Dr. Bob Luszczak, DDS Graduate Scholarship in Biology
  • CSUN Thesis Support Grant
BS
  • Holmes O. Miller Endowment Scholarship for Field Research
  • Joseph Epperson Memorial Field Biology Scholarship
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Departmental Honors
  • Dean's Honor List

TEACHING
  • Teaching Assistant, Cornell University, 2018-2022
    • Molecular Tools for Ecology, Conservation, and Natural Resource Management
    • Collaborative and Reproducible Data Science in R
    • Herpetology
  • Teaching Assistant, California State University, Northridge, 2014-2017
    • Molecular Markers in Evolutionary Studies
    • General Biology Lab (majors and non-majors) 

INVITED PRESENTATIONS
  • Research Seminars
    • Statistical and Evolutionary Genetics Course, USC (Nov 2024)
    • Biology Department Seminar, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Jun 2024)
    • Biology Department Seminar, Cal State Northridge (Mar 2024)
    • Conservation Genetics Graduate Seminar, CSUN (Dec 2022)
    • Herpetology Course, Cornell University (Mar 2019)
    • Science Lecture Series, Glendale Community College (Feb 2018)
    • Southwestern Herpetologists Society Meeting (Oct 2016)
  • Guest Lectures
    • Detecting Selection, Molecular Ecology, Cornell University (Nov 2022)
    • Trait Mapping, Molecular Ecology, CSUN (May 2020)
    • Detecting Selection, Molecular Ecology, Cornell University (Mar 2018)
    • Quantifying Color, Full Immersion Research Experience, CSUN (Mar 2017)
    • Sequencing is RAD, Molecular Ecology, CSUN (Apr 2016)

LEADERSHIP
  • Co-founder, ADHD in Academia (2021-present)
  • Co-founder, Cornell EEB Graduate Peer Group (2018-2022)
  • Coordinator, Cornell Diversity Preview Weekend (2018-2021)
  • President, CSUN EEB Graduate Club (2015-2017)
  • Treasurer, CSUN Women in Science Club (2015-2017)
  • Co-founder, CSUN Graduate Student Leadership Council (2015-2016)

OUTREACH AND SERVICE
  • Assistant Graduate Representative, EEB Faculty Search Committee (2022)
  • Graphic Design, Neurodiversity Community at Cornell (2022)
  • Instructor, GRASSHOPR Graduate Student School Outreach Program (2019)
  • Graphic Design, Safe Evolution Program, Council of Evolution Studies (2018)
  • Science Fair Judge, Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (2017)
  • Founder & Instructor, Girls in Science & Technology Club, Portola Middle School (2016)
  • Instructor, Genomic Data Analysis for Beginners Workshop, CSUN (2016)
  • Panelist, Advancement to Graduate Education Conference, CSUN (2016)
  • Peer-Reviewed Articles for: Genome, Molecular Ecology 
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