Research in the mammal and parasite lab group is focused broadly in evolutionary biology with a focus on systematics, population genetics, and coevolutionary associations between distantly related organisms, particularly mammals and their parasites. In general, our research relies on field work and specimens from natural history collections. We use molecular and morphological data from recently collected and historical specimens to help elucidate broad evolutionary processes operating in distantly related taxa. Please see the Projects and Publications page for more examples of ongoing research in the lab group.

​Want to learn more about the Texas A&M Biodiversity Research & Teaching Collections? Watch this video from KAMU Public Broadcasting.

​**Dr. Light is NOT accepting graduate students at this time**

News!
News Archive

February 2026

• Manuscript accepted, congratulations, Oluwaseun! "Host, vector, and parasite dynamics: exploring intrinsic and extrinsic factors shaping tick-borne filarial nematode transmission" in Biological Reviews https://doi.org/10.1002/brv.70146​
• More manuscripts coming in Journal of Wildlife Management (congratulations to lab alumna Natalie) and the Journal of Parasitology. Stay tuned!
• Congratulations to Ali! Funding granted from the Graduate School for Ali to visit colleagues in Mexico and collect high-throughput sequence data (UCEs)
  

January 2026

• Happy New Year! ​​​​

Contact Information
Texas A&M University
Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology
Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections
Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
​Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics
Mailing address: 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., TAMU 2258; College Station, TX 77843
Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]
JEL Office: 268 Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences (Building 1537). 979-458-4357
​Follow Jessica on BlueSky @jeclight

This website was last updated 18 February 2026