Ryan E. Hulett
HHMI Hanna H. Gray Postdoctoral Fellow
Carnegie Institution for Science
Department of Embryology
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
M.S., Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, San Francisco State University
B.S., Molecular Environmental Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Transfer Credit from American River College
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research, Carnegie Institution for Science: Embryology, 2022 – Present
Postdoctoral work under the supervision of Prof. Phillip Cleves
Investigating HSF1 gene regulation during the establishment and breakdown of cnidarian-algal endosymbiosis
Doctoral Research, Harvard University, 2016 – 2022
Dissertation work under the supervision of Prof. Mansi Srivastava
Investigated the cellular, molecular, and epigenomic mechanisms of neurogenesis during whole-body regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia.
Technician Research, University of California, Berkeley, 2014 – 2 016
Research under the supervision of Prof. Nicole King
Investigated the genetic basis for multicellular development and bacterial-eukaryotic interactions in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta.
Master’s Research, San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences, 2012 – 2015
Thesis research under the supervision of Prof. Terrence Gosliner
Investigated the molecular phylogenetics and systematics to uncover biogeographic origins and color pattern evolution in the nudibranch family Tritoniidae.
PUBLICATIONS
Hulett, R.E. Gehrke, A.R., Gompers, A., Rivera-López, C., and Srivastava, M. A wounding-induced differentiation trajectory for neurons. bioRxiv 2023.05.10.540286; https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.10.540286. 2023
Hulett, R.E.†, Kimura, J.O.†, Bolaños, D.M.†, Luo, Y.†, Rivera-López, C., Ricci, L., Srivastava, M. Acoel single-cell atlas reveals expression dynamics and heterogeneity of adult pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications, 14, 2612 , https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38016-4. 2023. (†contributed equally)
Hulett, R.E., Potter, D*., Srivastava, M. Neural architecture and regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 10.1098/rspb.2020.1198, 2020. (*undergraduate)
Gehrke, A.R., Neverett, E., Brandt, A., Luo, Y., Ricci, L., Hulett, R.E., Gompers, A., Ruby, G., Rokhsar, D.S., Reddien, P.W., Srivastava, M. Acoel genome reveals the regulatory landscape of whole-body regeneration. Science, 363: eaau6173:10.1125/science.aau6173, 2019.
Wetzel, L., Levin, T., Hulett, R.E., Chan, D., King, G., Aldayafleh, R., Booth, D., Sigg, M.A., King, N. Glycosyltransferase homologs prevent promiscuous cell aggregation and promote multicellular development in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. eLife, 7: e41482, 2018.
Woznica, A., Gerdt, J.P., Hulett, R.E., Clardy, J., King, N. Mating in the closest living relatives of animals is induced by a bacterial chondroitinase. Cell, 170: 1175-1183, 2017.
Hulett, R.E., Mahguib, J., Gosliner, T.M., Valdes, A. Molecular evaluation of the phylogenetic position of the enigmatic species Trivettea papalotla (Bertsch) (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Invertebrate Systematics, 29: 215-222, 2015.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2023-: Hanna H. Gray Fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Cellular and genetic mechanisms of cnidarian-algal symbioses in response to climate change
2020-2022: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (F31-Diversity)
Identifying genetic pathways and cellular sources for neural regeneration in adult animals
2019: Harvard Distinction in Teaching Award (SCRB 10)
2018: Harvard Distinction in Teaching Award (MCB 60)
2018: Simmon’s Award: Harvard Center for Biological Imaging
2017: Simmon’s Award: Harvard Center for Biological Imaging
2016: Ford Foundation Fellowship – Honorable Mention
2016: Harvard Graduate Prize Fellowship
PRESENTATIONS
2022: Invited Talk - Mechanisms generating neural cell type diversity during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Developmental Biology: Satellite symposium on the developmental origins of novelty.
2022: Talk - Early steps during neural regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Flatworm Friday.
2022: Invited Talk - Neural regeneration and progenitor specification in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. University of Georgia, Rachel Roberts-Galbraith Group.
2022: Talk - Early neural regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2021: Poster - Early neural specification during whole-body regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Developmental Biology.
2021: Talk - Comparing nervous system development and regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2020: Talk - Identifying regulators of neural cell-type diversity during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2020: Invited Talk - Exploring mechanisms of regeneration and their evolution. North Carolina State University, Developmental Genetics GN4343.
2019: Talk and Poster - Neural cell-type diversity in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. The Identity and Evolution of Cell-Types. EMBO.
2018: Talk and Poster - Nervous system patterning during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. OIST Developmental Neurobiology Course.
2018: Talk - Where is my mind? Nervous system regionalization in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2017: Poster - Neural architecture of the acoel Hofstenia miamia. North American Planarian Meeting.
2016: Talk - Spots, stripes, and slugs: Insight into color and biogeography of tritoniid nudibranchs. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2016: Poster - A rosette by any other name: Investigating cell type markers in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2015: Poster - Seeing what sticks: Identifying cell-type markers in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. International Choanoflagellate Workshop.
2015: Talk - The crushing truth: Stomach plates in Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2015: Poster - Where have you been: Biogeographical patterns in Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2014: Invited Talk- Phylogenetic systematics of the nudibranch genus Tritonia. California State University East Bay, Department of Biological Sciences
2014: Poster - Preliminary molecular systematics of Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
SPECIALIZED COURSES
2018: Developmental Neurobiology Course. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2018- Journal Referee: EvoDevo, Nature communications
2020-2023: Public Affairs Committee Member. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2020-2023: Student/Postdoc Representative. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Division of
Evolutionary Developmental Biology
ACADEMIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2020: Harvard University, OEB 399: Topics in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2018: Harvard University, SCRB 10: Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology
2017: Harvard University, MCB 60: Cellular Biology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory
2014: San Francisco State University, SCI 240: Science Concepts of Biology II
2013: San Francisco State University, BIOL 230: Introductory Biology Laboratory
SCIENTIFIC MENTORING
2019-2020: Mentor, Harvard College Undergraduate Thesis
Deirdre Potter, Thesis: Roles of homologs of the transcription factors nkx2 and vax during nervous system regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia
2013-2014: Mentor, California Academy of Sciences: Student Science Fellows
Rachael Quock, Project: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in historical amphibian specimens
Logan Kahle, Project: Bird window collisions at the California Academy of Sciences
Emily Brandau, Project: Taxonomy and biogeography of neotropical ants
Rachel Liu, Project: Deep sequencing reveals mosquito microbial communities
ACADEMIC MENTORING
2019-2022: Resident Tutor and Academic Advisor, Harvard College: Lowell and Mather Houses
2020-2021: Mentor, Qualifying Exam Mentorship Program at Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
2013- Organizer, Outgroup LGBTQ+ Event at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2021: Guest, NPR Short Wave: Nudibranchs do it better
2021: Panel Member, Community College and STEM. Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering Young Researchers Conference
2021: Panel Member, A conversation on intersectionality in STEM. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2021: Organizing Committee, ComSciCon 2021
2020-2021: Scientist, Skype a Scientist
2018-2021: Admissions Committee, Evolution, Ecology, and Environment (E3) REU at Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2020: Presenter, Sister group: Engaging the LGBTQ+ community in scientific communication and advocacy. ComSciCon: The Communicating Science workshop for graduate students
2018-2020: Organizer/Developer/Presenter, Real Science: Untangling Evolutionary Trees through the Harvard Museum of Natural History and NSF
2018-2019: G3 Representative, Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2018: Contributor, 500 Queer Scientists
2014: Presenter, Diving deep with nudibranchs, California Academy of Sciences NightLife
2014: Presenter, Nudibranchs are nature’s thieves, California Academy of Sciences
HHMI Hanna H. Gray Postdoctoral Fellow
Carnegie Institution for Science
Department of Embryology
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
M.S., Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, San Francisco State University
B.S., Molecular Environmental Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Transfer Credit from American River College
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research, Carnegie Institution for Science: Embryology, 2022 – Present
Postdoctoral work under the supervision of Prof. Phillip Cleves
Investigating HSF1 gene regulation during the establishment and breakdown of cnidarian-algal endosymbiosis
Doctoral Research, Harvard University, 2016 – 2022
Dissertation work under the supervision of Prof. Mansi Srivastava
Investigated the cellular, molecular, and epigenomic mechanisms of neurogenesis during whole-body regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia.
Technician Research, University of California, Berkeley, 2014 – 2 016
Research under the supervision of Prof. Nicole King
Investigated the genetic basis for multicellular development and bacterial-eukaryotic interactions in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta.
Master’s Research, San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences, 2012 – 2015
Thesis research under the supervision of Prof. Terrence Gosliner
Investigated the molecular phylogenetics and systematics to uncover biogeographic origins and color pattern evolution in the nudibranch family Tritoniidae.
PUBLICATIONS
Hulett, R.E. Gehrke, A.R., Gompers, A., Rivera-López, C., and Srivastava, M. A wounding-induced differentiation trajectory for neurons. bioRxiv 2023.05.10.540286; https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.10.540286. 2023
Hulett, R.E.†, Kimura, J.O.†, Bolaños, D.M.†, Luo, Y.†, Rivera-López, C., Ricci, L., Srivastava, M. Acoel single-cell atlas reveals expression dynamics and heterogeneity of adult pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications, 14, 2612 , https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38016-4. 2023. (†contributed equally)
Hulett, R.E., Potter, D*., Srivastava, M. Neural architecture and regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 10.1098/rspb.2020.1198, 2020. (*undergraduate)
Gehrke, A.R., Neverett, E., Brandt, A., Luo, Y., Ricci, L., Hulett, R.E., Gompers, A., Ruby, G., Rokhsar, D.S., Reddien, P.W., Srivastava, M. Acoel genome reveals the regulatory landscape of whole-body regeneration. Science, 363: eaau6173:10.1125/science.aau6173, 2019.
Wetzel, L., Levin, T., Hulett, R.E., Chan, D., King, G., Aldayafleh, R., Booth, D., Sigg, M.A., King, N. Glycosyltransferase homologs prevent promiscuous cell aggregation and promote multicellular development in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. eLife, 7: e41482, 2018.
Woznica, A., Gerdt, J.P., Hulett, R.E., Clardy, J., King, N. Mating in the closest living relatives of animals is induced by a bacterial chondroitinase. Cell, 170: 1175-1183, 2017.
Hulett, R.E., Mahguib, J., Gosliner, T.M., Valdes, A. Molecular evaluation of the phylogenetic position of the enigmatic species Trivettea papalotla (Bertsch) (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Invertebrate Systematics, 29: 215-222, 2015.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2023-: Hanna H. Gray Fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Cellular and genetic mechanisms of cnidarian-algal symbioses in response to climate change
2020-2022: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (F31-Diversity)
Identifying genetic pathways and cellular sources for neural regeneration in adult animals
2019: Harvard Distinction in Teaching Award (SCRB 10)
2018: Harvard Distinction in Teaching Award (MCB 60)
2018: Simmon’s Award: Harvard Center for Biological Imaging
2017: Simmon’s Award: Harvard Center for Biological Imaging
2016: Ford Foundation Fellowship – Honorable Mention
2016: Harvard Graduate Prize Fellowship
PRESENTATIONS
2022: Invited Talk - Mechanisms generating neural cell type diversity during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Developmental Biology: Satellite symposium on the developmental origins of novelty.
2022: Talk - Early steps during neural regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Flatworm Friday.
2022: Invited Talk - Neural regeneration and progenitor specification in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. University of Georgia, Rachel Roberts-Galbraith Group.
2022: Talk - Early neural regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2021: Poster - Early neural specification during whole-body regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Developmental Biology.
2021: Talk - Comparing nervous system development and regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2020: Talk - Identifying regulators of neural cell-type diversity during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2020: Invited Talk - Exploring mechanisms of regeneration and their evolution. North Carolina State University, Developmental Genetics GN4343.
2019: Talk and Poster - Neural cell-type diversity in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. The Identity and Evolution of Cell-Types. EMBO.
2018: Talk and Poster - Nervous system patterning during regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. OIST Developmental Neurobiology Course.
2018: Talk - Where is my mind? Nervous system regionalization in the acoel Hofstenia miamia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2017: Poster - Neural architecture of the acoel Hofstenia miamia. North American Planarian Meeting.
2016: Talk - Spots, stripes, and slugs: Insight into color and biogeography of tritoniid nudibranchs. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2016: Poster - A rosette by any other name: Investigating cell type markers in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2015: Poster - Seeing what sticks: Identifying cell-type markers in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta. International Choanoflagellate Workshop.
2015: Talk - The crushing truth: Stomach plates in Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2015: Poster - Where have you been: Biogeographical patterns in Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2014: Invited Talk- Phylogenetic systematics of the nudibranch genus Tritonia. California State University East Bay, Department of Biological Sciences
2014: Poster - Preliminary molecular systematics of Tritoniidae. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
SPECIALIZED COURSES
2018: Developmental Neurobiology Course. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2018- Journal Referee: EvoDevo, Nature communications
2020-2023: Public Affairs Committee Member. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2020-2023: Student/Postdoc Representative. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Division of
Evolutionary Developmental Biology
ACADEMIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2020: Harvard University, OEB 399: Topics in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2018: Harvard University, SCRB 10: Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology
2017: Harvard University, MCB 60: Cellular Biology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory
2014: San Francisco State University, SCI 240: Science Concepts of Biology II
2013: San Francisco State University, BIOL 230: Introductory Biology Laboratory
SCIENTIFIC MENTORING
2019-2020: Mentor, Harvard College Undergraduate Thesis
Deirdre Potter, Thesis: Roles of homologs of the transcription factors nkx2 and vax during nervous system regeneration in the acoel Hofstenia miamia
2013-2014: Mentor, California Academy of Sciences: Student Science Fellows
Rachael Quock, Project: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in historical amphibian specimens
Logan Kahle, Project: Bird window collisions at the California Academy of Sciences
Emily Brandau, Project: Taxonomy and biogeography of neotropical ants
Rachel Liu, Project: Deep sequencing reveals mosquito microbial communities
ACADEMIC MENTORING
2019-2022: Resident Tutor and Academic Advisor, Harvard College: Lowell and Mather Houses
2020-2021: Mentor, Qualifying Exam Mentorship Program at Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
2013- Organizer, Outgroup LGBTQ+ Event at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2021: Guest, NPR Short Wave: Nudibranchs do it better
2021: Panel Member, Community College and STEM. Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering Young Researchers Conference
2021: Panel Member, A conversation on intersectionality in STEM. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2021: Organizing Committee, ComSciCon 2021
2020-2021: Scientist, Skype a Scientist
2018-2021: Admissions Committee, Evolution, Ecology, and Environment (E3) REU at Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2020: Presenter, Sister group: Engaging the LGBTQ+ community in scientific communication and advocacy. ComSciCon: The Communicating Science workshop for graduate students
2018-2020: Organizer/Developer/Presenter, Real Science: Untangling Evolutionary Trees through the Harvard Museum of Natural History and NSF
2018-2019: G3 Representative, Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
2018: Contributor, 500 Queer Scientists
2014: Presenter, Diving deep with nudibranchs, California Academy of Sciences NightLife
2014: Presenter, Nudibranchs are nature’s thieves, California Academy of Sciences