Get to know some of the scientists and researchers who study and conserve this amazing place we call home. They’re the boots on the ground who discover (or rediscover) species, study how our natural world is changing, interpret earth’s history and evolution, and care for the 8 million specimens in our collection.
Jon Rebman specializes in cacti and the floras of the southern California and the Baja California regions. More.
Pamela Horsley oversees the day-to-day activities in the entomology collection and provides collection registration services across the Museum. More.
Ecologist Michelle E. Thompson translates science into action to help address the region’s most pressing conservation issues. More.
Layla Aerne Hains cares for the nearly 300,000 specimens in our herbarium and manages departmental digitization efforts. More.
Philip Unitt wrote the book on birds—literally. He studies the distribution, ecology, history, identification, and conservation of California birds. More.
Paleontologist Tom Deméré studies the origin and evolution of marine mammals and heads up the Museum’s paleontological mitigation services program. More.
Kesler Randall specializes in the identification of fossil vertebrates and oversees the digitization and accessibility of the paleontology collections. More.
Bradford Hollingsworth specializes in the amphibians and reptiles of our region, focusing on their taxonomic diversity, historical biogeography, and conservation. More.
Adam Clause manages our collection of more than 76,000 herpetology specimens and focuses on the conservation, ecology, and systematics of reptiles in our region. More.
Ariel Hammond specializes in data and information sciences. She oversees the Research Library and serves as curator of the library exhibition. More.
Kevin Clark coordinates contracting and research opportunities for museum scientists and works to monitor, conserve, and recover endangered species and habitats in the region. More.
Scott Tremor specializes in the taxonomy, distribution, ecology, and conservation of the mammals of southern California and Baja California. More.
Lori Hargrove studies species’ distributions and habitat relationships, including the effects of fire and climate change on birds. More.
One of the area’s leading bat biologists, Drew researches and helps protect this misunderstood but ecologically invaluable mammal. More.
Brenna Ogg partners with organizations in the public and private sectors to study and conserve rare and endangered species. More.
Kimberly Ferree studies the ecology of local rare and endangered birds and supports Museum staff with data analysis. More.
Shahan Derkarabetian studies the taxonomy and systemtics of arachnids, speciaizing in genetic analyses of museum specimens. More.
Johno Niles fuses The Nat’s biodiversity research with international conservation work, climate resilience, and non-profit management. More.