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Amy L. Tan, PhD

Amy L. Tan
Amy L. Tan, PhD

Contact

College Station, TX 77843
atan@tamu.edu

Biography

Dr. Amy L. Tan is a developmental and molecular biologist currently investigating how epigenomes and phenotypes are shaped by environmental conditions. Her work takes place in the Strader Lab in the Department of Biology and utilizes the classic developmental model organism Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (purple sea urchin). Recent experiments have focused on how microbial communities and sea water temperatures impact larval urchin size, immune system, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression. Amy earned her PhD in Biology from Texas A&M, where she focused on development of the zebrafish inner ear, especially how signals are coordinated and cooperate to pattern sensory and neural regions of the inner ear. Prior to that, she studied regeneration of internal organs in a sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) as a Masters student at Walla Walla University and, as an undergraduate, worked on projects related to the impact of sea cucumbers in a tropical coral reef environment.

Education and Training

  • Texas A&M University, PhD, Biology, 2022
  • Walla Walla University, M.S, Biology, 2015
  • Walla Walla University, B.S, Biology, 2013

Research Interests

  • Developmental biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Epigenetics
  • Marine Ecology

Awards, Recognition and Service

  • IRACDA Scholar, IRACDA@TAMU (2024 - 2028)
  • Lawrence S. Dillon Distinguished Graduate Student Award for excellence in research and teaching
  • Three Minute Thesis Competition First place and audience choice awards
  • Research Achievement Award (for International Sea Turtle Society)
  • John and Inez Willey Family Memorial Scholarship
  • Research Achievement Award (for North American Echinoderm Conference)
  • Donald W. Rigby Award, Rosario Scholarship
  • Research Achievement Award (for Murdock Conference)

Representative Publications

  1. Microbial communities experienced during early development shape the host immune system
    and epigenome. in prep. Amy L. Tan, Stephanie F. Hendricks, Katherine M. Buckley, Marie E.
    Strader.
  2. Microbial communities experienced during early development shape the host immune system
    and epigenome. 2025. Contributed paper oral presentation, SICB.
  3. Using sequencing to investigate how microbial communities shape the host immune system and
    epigenome. 2024. Guest lecture: Bioinformatics (BIOL451), Department of Biology, TAMU.
  4. Microbial communities experienced during early development shape the host immune system
    and epigenome. 2024. Seminar series, Department of Biology, TAMU.
  5. Epigenetic changes shaped by early environmental conditions in S. purpuratus. 2023. Amy L.
    Tan, Katherine M. Buckley, Marie E. Strader. Poster presentation, Developmental Biology of Sea
    Urchins and Other Marine Invertebrates.
  6. Shaping of epigenetic changes in the purple sea urchin by early environmental conditions. 2023.
    Oral presentation, Department of Biology Ecology-Evolutionary Biology Retreat.
  7. Roles of Fgf and Hh during vestibular and auditory specification in the inner ear. 2023. Amy L.
    Tan, Sydney E. Christensen, Allison Baker, Bruce B. Riley. Developmental Dynamics. 252:
    1269-1279.
  8. Pax2a, Sp5a and Sp5l act downstream of Fgf and Wnt to coordinate sensory-neural patterning
    in the inner ear. 2022. Amy L. Tan, Saurav Mohanty, Jinbai Guo, Arne C. Lekven, and Bruce B.
    Riley. Developmental Biology. 492: 139-153.
  9. Roles of pax2a, sp5a, and sp5l in mediating Fgf and Wnt signaling during otic development.
    2019. Amy L. Tan and Bruce B. Riley. Poster presentation, Texas Zebrafish Conference
  10. Don’t poop where you eat: Location of sea cucumber egesta in a coral reef environment. 2014.
    James R. Nestler, Liesl K. Cole, Leah E. Dann, Carly V. Leggitt, Elisa P. Manley, Robyn E.
    Reeve, Amy L. Tan, E. Alan Verde. Conference paper, Proceedings of the American Academy of
    Underwater Sciences 33rd Symposium. In: Eckert G., S. Keller & S. Tamone, eds. Diving for
    Science.
  11. 700 hours on nesting beaches: ProTECTOR volunteer efforts in Honduras. 2013. Tan, A. L.,
    Dunbar, S. G., Baumbach, D., Cunningham, A., Damazo, L. E., Lindsay, K., and Salinas, L.
    Poster presentation, 33rd International Sea Turtle Symposium.
  12. Down-and-dirty: What holothurians and hoover vacuums have in common in a tropical coral reef
    environment. 2011. Oral presentation, 6th North American Echinoderm Conference.
  13. Down-and-dirty: What sea cucumbers and hoover vacuums have in common in a tropical coral
    reef environment. 2010. Amy L. Tan, Elisa P. Manley, and James R. Nestler. Poster
    presentation, Murdock Undergraduate Science Conference.