Diego José Santana

Research Leader

Diego José Santana

​I am currently the Curator of Amphibians and Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) in Chicago, holding a joint position between the Negaunee Integrative Research Center and the Keller Science Action Center. I am also a professor working in the Zoology lab at Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS). I have a Biology degree from Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras Santa Marcelina (FAFISM) in Muriaé (MG), a Master’s Degree in Animal Biology from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) in Viçosa (MG), and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Zoology) from Universidade Federal da Paraíba, in João Pessoa (PB). I was previously a post-doc researcher at the Laboratório de Anfíbios e Répteis at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in Natal (RN). I have experience in zoology with an emphasis on herpetology, mainly working with frogs, on themes such as natural history, systematics, phylogenetics, and biogeography. I also advise in the postgraduate programs of Animal Biology and Ecology and Conservation at UFMS, and in Animal Biology at UNESP.

METAMORPHOSED
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​Associate Researches and ​Post-Docs

Sarah Mângia 🇧🇷 
Visiting Researcher UFMS
Sarah work mainly with amphibian systematics and phylogeography. She also does sci-comm in her social media
Priscila Carvalho 🇧🇷 
Emeritus Member
Pri was the first graduate member of the Mapinguari Lab. She ran our team for over a decade and was (and always will be) our foundation.
​Thank you, Pri!

FROGLETS
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​Doctoral Students

Luciana Valério 🇧🇷 
​Biodiversity / IBILCE - UNESP
Luciana is evaluating the evolution and taxonomy of the skinks genus Manciola.
Sean Keuroghlian-Eaton 🇧🇷
Ecology and Conservation / UFMS
Sean focuses on assessing the impact of fire on anuran antagonistic ecological networks in the Pantanal region. His work involves evaluating food webs and parasitic networks.
Igor Leal Brito 🇧🇷 
Biochemistry / UFMS*
*(co-advised)
Igor works with neurobiochemistry and characterization of biological activity in samples of amphibian toxins.
Priscila do Nascimento Lopes 🇧🇷 
Ecology and Conservation / UFMS
Pri is researching the ecological impact of wildfires on amphibian populations and communities within the Pantanal.
Douglas Moore 🇧🇷​
​Biodiversity / IBILCE - UNESP
Douglas is studying the morphological evolution of the genus Dryophylax and the historical  biogeography of these snakes.
João Emílio Almeida Jr 🇧🇷 ​
​Ecology and Conservation / UFMS *
*(co-advised)
​Nuno is presently engaged in monitoring Pantanal caimans, with a primary focus on their ecology utilizing Passive Acoustic Monitoring techniques.
Leandro Avelar Oliveira 🇧🇷​
Animal Biology / UFMS
Leandro study the evolution and biogeography of torrent frogs (Hylodes), and how environmental factors have influenced their size
​Álvaro Aragão de Lima
Animal Biology / UFMS
​Álvaro is currently exploring the world of frogs, focusing on the evolution and systematics of the Escuerzos (genus Odontophrynus)
* Sarah's student

TADPOLES
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​Master's Students

Kelvin Mori 🇧🇷
Animal Biology /UFMS
Kelvin is engaged in researching the evolutionary history and phylogeography of the snake Dryophylax chaquensis across its geographical range.
​Ryan Christopher Kridler 🇺🇸
Ecology and Conservation/UFMS
​Ryan’s research focuses on using bioacoustics to assess anuran community response and recovery from wildfires in the Pantanal.
Rafaela Machado 🇧🇷
​Ecology and Conservation/UFMS
Rafa is assessing the impact of distinct fire regimes in the Pantanal on the structure and dynamics of anuran food webs.
Kariny Suarez
Biodiversity / IBILCE - UNESP
Kariny is conducting a study on the Trachycephalus biogeography.  She will evaluate their diversification and geographic patterns.
Lauany Lima Serafim
Animal Biology /UFMS​
Lau is evaluating how an anuran food web changes across seasons in a Cerrado ecosystem.
Samara Pimpinati
Animal Biology /UFMS •
* Sarah's student
Samara is revising the taxonomy of the horned frog Proceratophrys schirchi using multiple lines of evidence

EMBRYOS
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​Undergraduate Students

Gabriel Nantes 🇧🇷 ​
Caio Lucas 🇧🇷 ​





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​LAB

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ALUMNI
Diego José Santana