Kelly A.

Speer
National Zoological Park & Conservation Biology Institute kellyspeer.com
National Museum of Natural History speerk@si.edu
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. speerkelly@gmail.com

Appointments and Educational Background

January 2022 – George E. Burch Postdoctoral Fellowship Washington, DC
January 2024 National Zoological Park & Conservation Biology Institute,
Center for Conservation Genomics
Advisors: Dr. Carly Muletz Wolz and Dr. Anna Phillips
January 2020 – Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral Fellowship Washington, DC
January 2022 The National Museum of Natural History,
Department of Invertebrate Zoology
Advisors: Dr. Anna Phillips and Dr. Carly Muletz Wolz
August 2015 – Ph.D. Comparative Biology New York, NY
September 2019 American Museum of Natural History,
Richard Gilder Graduate School, Departments of Mammalogy & Entomology
Dissertation: “Sources of variation in the microbiome of ectoparasites of
bats, with implications for disease transmission and parasite conservation.”
Advisors: Dr. Susan Perkins and Dr. Nancy Simmons
August 2012 – M.S. Zoology Gainesville, FL
August 2015 University of Florida, Department of Biology &
Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Mammalogy
Thesis: “Dispersal of Bats in an Island System.”
Advisor: Dr. David Reed
August 2007 – B.S. Biology & B.A. Chemistry Albuquerque, NM
May 2012 University of New Mexico, Department of Biology &
Museum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Mammalogy
Thesis: “A relict population of shrews in New Mexico illustrates
phylogeographic diversification in response to environmental change.”
Advisor: Dr. Joe Cook
August 2010 – Karl-Franzens Universität Graz Graz, Austria
August 2011 Direct undergraduate student exchange
January 2008 – Museum Curatorial Assistant Albuquerque, NM
August 2009 Museum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Mammalogy

Publications
+Joint First Authors, *Joint Second Authors, ^Undergraduate/Graduate Student Mentees

1. Viquez-Rodríguez L, KA Speer, K Wilhelm, N Simmons, R Medellín, S Sommer, and M

Tschapka. (2021). A faithful gut: Core features of gastrointestinal microbiota of long-distance

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migratory bats remain stable despite dietary shifts driving differences in specific bacterial
taxa. Microbiology Spectrum, 9, 3, e01525-21.
2. Becker DJ, KA Speer, J Korstian, D Volokhov, H Droke, ^A Brown, ^C Baijnauth, T Padgett-
Stewart, H Broders, R Plowright, T Rainwater, MB Fenton, N Simmons, M Chumchal. (2020)
Disentangling interactions between mercury, immunity, and infection in a Neotropical bat
community. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13809
3. Speer KA, NM Dheilly, SL Perkins. (2020) Microbiomes are integral to conservation of
parasitic arthropods. Biological Conservation, 108695.
4. Carlson CJ+, S Hopkins+, KA Speer*, KC Bell*, J Doña*, SS Godfrey*, ML Kwak*, KD
Lafferty*, ML Moir*, G Strona*, M Torchin*, CL Wood*. (2020) A global parasite
conservation plan. Biological Conservation, 250, 108596.
5. Becker DJ, KA Speer, ^AM Brown, MB Fenton, AD Washburne, S Altizer, DG Streicker, RK
Plowright, VE Chizhikov, NB Simmons, DV Volokhov. (2020) Ecological and evolutionary
drivers of haemoplasma infection and bacterial genotype sharing in a Neotropical bat
community. Molecular Ecology, 29, 1534-1549.
6. Galen S, KA Speer, and SL Perkins. (2019) Evolutionary lability of host associations
promotes phylogenetic overdispersion of co-infecting blood parasites. Journal of Animal
Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13089.
7. Speer KA, ^E Luetke, ^E Bush, ^B Sheth, ^A Gerace, ^Z Quicksall, M Miyamoto, CW Dick, K
Dittmar, N Albury, and DL Reed. (2019) A fly on the cave wall: Using parasite genetics to infer
patterns of host dispersal. Journal of Parasitology, 105(4):555-566.
8. Ingala MR, NB Simmons, C Wultsch, K Krampis, KA Speer, and SL Perkins. (2018)
Comparing Microbiome Sampling Methods in a Wild Mammal: Fecal and Intestinal Samples
Record Different Signals of Host Ecology, Evolution. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9:803.
9. Speer KA, BJ Petronio, N Simmons, ^B Richey, JA Soto-Centeno, DL Reed. (2017) Population
genetics of a widespread bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) in an island system. Ecology and
Evolution, 7(19):7585-7598.
10. Speer KA, JA Soto-Centeno, N Albury, ^ZS Quicksall, M Marte, DL Reed. (2015) Bats of The
Bahamas: Natural History and Conservation. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural
History, 53(3):45-95.
11. Kohli BA, KA Speer, CW Kilpatrick, N Batsaikhan, D Damdinbaza, JA Cook. (2014) Multilocus
systematics and non-punctuated evolution of Holarctic Myodini (Rodentia: Arvicolinae).
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 76:18-29.
12. Hope AG, KA Speer, JR Demboski, SL Talbot, JA Cook. (2012) A climate for speciation: rapid
spatial diversification among the Sorex cinereus complex of shrews. Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution, 64(3):671-84.
Manuscripts in Review, Revision, or Press
12. Speer KA, T Teixeira, ^A Brown, S Perkins, K Dittmar, M Ingala, C Wultsch, K Krampis, C Dick,
M Vieira, S Galen, N Simmons, E Clare. Parasite species identity and local community
diversity mediate effects of habitat fragmentation on bacterial microbiomes. ISME Comm.
Accepted, minor revisions. doi.org/10.22541/au.159200503.35915032
13. Speer, KA. Microbiomes mediate host-parasite interactions. Molecular Ecology. In Review.
14. Brown A, KA Speer, T Teixeira, E Clare, NB Simmons, JA Balbuena, CW Dick, K Dittmar, S
Perkins. Phylogenetic and ecological trends in specialization: disentangling the drivers of
ectoparasite host specificity. Journal of Animal Ecology. In Revision.
15. Speer KA. Erophylla sezekorni. In A Kurta and A Rodríguez-Durán (Eds.), Bats of the West
Indies. Cornell University Press. In Review.

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16. Speer KA. Erophylla bombifrons. In A Kurta and A Rodríguez-Durán (Eds.), Bats of the West
Indies. Cornell University Press. In Review.

Grants, Fellowships, & Scholarships

January 2022 – George E. Burch Postdoctoral Fellowship $128,000
January 2024 “Role of the microbiome in the evolutionary transition to blood feeding.”
January 2020 – Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral Fellowship $108,000
January 2022 “The evolutionary transition to blood feeding in ectoparasitic flies.”
August 2015 – Richard Gilder Graduate School Fellowship $168,800
August 2019 “Tripartite interactions between bats, ectoparasites, and bacteria.”
Includes $24,800 for research.
Spring 2018 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research $934
“Effect of arthropod microbiome variation on prevalence of
pathogens in bats.”
Spring 2018 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research $1,500
“Influence of bat ecology on prevalence of arthropod-vectored
pathogens of bats.“
Spring 2017 AMNH Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund $2,400
“Temporal variation in the microbiome of blood-feeding
ectoparasites of bats.”
Spring 2015 University of Florida Women’s Club Scholarship $1,000
Funding towards publication of Master’s thesis
Spring 2015 University of Florida Biology Department Travel Grant $175
Funding towards conference travel
Spring 2015 University of Florida Graduate Student Council Travel Grant $350
Funding towards conference travel
Spring 2015 University of Florida John Paul Olowo Memorial Fund $500
Funding towards field work
Spring 2014 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research $1,500
“Population genetics of a widespread bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)
in an island system.”
Fall 2013 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research $800
“A fly on the cave wall: using parasite genetics to infer patterns
of host dispersal.”
Spring 2013 AMNH Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund $2,545
“Estimating genetic diversity, migration, and population structure
across multiple biogeographic barriers in a vagile insular mammal.”
Spring 2013 University of Florida Brian Riewald Memorial Fund $300
Funding towards conference travel

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Fall 2012 University of Florida Biology Department Travel Grant $150

Funding toward conference travel

August 2010 – Regents’ International Study Grant $1,500

August 2011
August 2007 – Regents’ Scholarship at University of New Mexico $60,000
May 2011 Full ride scholarship to attend the University of New Mexico

Awards and Honors

April 2021 Ashton Cuckler New Investigator Award, American Society of Parasitology
July 2016 Best Student Paper Award, American Society of Parasitology
October 2015 Karl F. Koopman Award for Best Student Paper,
North American Society for Bat Research annual conference
August 2008 – Undergraduate Opportunities Program Scholar
May 2012 NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates
August 2010 Undergraduate Biology Honors Thesis Magna cum laude
“A relict population of shrews in New Mexico illustrates phylogeographic
diversification in response to environmental change.”
August 2007 – University of New Mexico Academic Dean's List
May 2012

Teaching
Fall 2016 Collections Biology, American Museum of Natural History
• Topic: Developing research questions that can be addressed using online databases of
natural history collections, learning how to generate data in these databases, GIS,
presentation of scientific findings.
• Students: high school students from a mix of underserved communities and affluent
communities in New York City as part of a college preparation afterschool program
• Contribution: Developed the curriculum, lectures, course materials, and co-taught the course
with one other teacher, mentored three M.A. Teaching students
Fall 2016 Evolution, Columbia University
• Topic: Fundamentals of evolutionary biology
• Students: Master’s and Ph.D. students in Dept. of Biology
• Contribution: Teaching assistant responsible for office hours and grading
2012 – 2015 Introductory Biology Lab for Biology Majors (BSC2010L), University of Florida
• Topic: Fundamentals of molecular biology, heritability, genetics, and biodiversity
• Students: Freshman and sophomore undergraduate Biology majors
• Contribution: Teaching assistant responsible for 40-60 students per semester, running three
labs per week, grading, holding office hours, and proctoring exams

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Mentorship
Graduate Student Mentorship
2020 – 2021 Cynthia Howard, MS, University of Ghana
• Training: Graduate school applications in the U.S., project development
• Products: Facilitated gap year in U.S. for additional training, applying to Ph.D. positions
2017 – 2019 Alexis Brown, MS, Columbia University
• Training: collecting, preserving, and identifying bat flies; standard molecular genetics
techniques, phylogenetic and coevolution data analysis, hypothesis development
• Products: presented research at two scientific meetings, 4 publications resulting from
mentorship project, Alexis is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Stony Brook University
Undergraduate Student Mentorship
2017 – 2018 Catherene Baijnauth, CUNY Queen’s College
• Training: standard molecular genetics techniques
• Products: awarded a grant to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of
Mammalogists, one publication resulting from this project
2017 Abrial Meyer, American Museum of Natural History
• Training: Machine learning algorithms
• Products: Helen Gurley Brown Fellowship

2017 Alejandro Laserna, CUNY Queen’s College

• Training: standard molecular genetics techniques
• Products: applying to laboratory manager positions using experience gained in lab

2015 Samantha Johnson, University of Florida

• Training: standard molecular genetic techniques
• Products: awarded Beckman Fellowship for undergraduate research

2015 Becky Richey, University of Florida

• Training: specimen photography and morphological assessment
• Products: One publication in Ecology and Evolution
2014 – 2015 Emily Bush, Allie Gerace, Kaylee Ludden, Eli Luetke, Nicole Norelli, Mitul
Patel, and Bhavya Sheth, University of Florida
• Training: This group oversaw the DNA extraction and microsatellite genotyping of ~400 bat
and ectoparasite tissues
• Products: One publication in Journal of Parasitology

2013 – 2014 Zachary Quicksall, University of Florida

• Training: standard molecular genetic techniques and data analysis, field techniques
• Products: Two publications resulting

2013 –2014 Claudia Zafra, University of Florida

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• Training: standard molecular genetic techniques

• Products: awarded McNair Fellowship for underrepresented groups in science

Field Work Experience

*Trips led or co-led, AMNH = American Museum of Nat. Hist., MSB = Museum of Southwestern Biol., NMNH = National
Museum of Natural History, FLMNH = Florida Museum of Nat. Hist.

2016– 2021 Orange Walk, Belize

• Mist-netting and hand-netting 23 species of bats
• collected blood, tissues, whole specimens, and ectoparasites
• Co-managed permits for import of ectoparasites and blood
• Large international team from Canada, U.S., and Australia
• Specimens deposited at AMNH
2016– 2017 Jalisco and Colima, Mexico*
• Mist-netting and hand-netting 5 species of bats
• collected ectoparasites, skin swabs, and cave swabs
• Managed all permits for collecting and import
• Trained two international undergraduate students
• Small international team from U.S., Germany, Costa Rica, and Mexico
• Specimens deposited at AMNH and UNAM Estación de Bíologia Chamela
2017 Cuba, New Mexico, USA
• Sherman and pitfall trapping rodent and scoricomorph community in national forest
• ectoparasites, endoparasites, tissues, skins, and skeletons collected
• Working as part of a small, female-led team
• Specimens deposited in MSB and NMNH
2013 – 2015 Abaco, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Exuma, and Long Island, The Bahamas*
• Mist-netting and hand-netting 4 species of bats
• ectoparasites, wing punches, tissues, skins, and skeletons collected
• Managed all permits for legal collecting, export, and import of samples
• Trained local officials and two University of Florida undergraduates
• Gave several presentations to local community and local schools on bats of The Bahamas
• Working as part of a small international team from the U.S. and The Bahamas
• Specimens deposited at FLMNH and The National Museum of The Bahamas
2013 Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, USA
• Sherman, pitfall, and snap trapping small mammal community
• Ectoparasites, endoparasites, tissues, skins, and skeletons collected
• Specimens deposited in MSB
2013 Gila Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
• Sherman, pitfall, and snap trapping small mammal community
• ectoparasites, endoparasites, tissues, skins, and skeletons collected
• Specimens deposited in MSB

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Professional Presentations
*Invited presentations

September 2021 Natural History Museum of LA County* Los Angeles, CA

“Complex wildlife communities through the lens of microbial ecology and evolution”
June 2021 Dept. of Evo & Pop Bio Seminar, University of Amsterdam* Amsterdam, NLD
June 2021 Dept. of MCBS Seminar, University of New Hampshire* Durham, NH
April 2021 Animal Molecular Ecology, Federal University of Paraná* Curitiba, Brazil
“Host-parasite-microbiomes: A system for examining environmental change”
March 2021 Early Career Scientists Symposium, University of Michigan* Ann Arbor, MI
“Determining drivers of symbiont evolution in a multi-tier hierarchical system”
March 2021 Phylopizza, National Museum of Natural History* Washington, DC
“Specificity of parasite microbiomes”
February 2021 Virtual Genomics Hour, California Academy of Sciences* San Francisco, CA
“Host-specificity modulates the effect of environment on microbial diversity in
blood-feeding flies”
December 2020 Weekly Seminar, Verena Consortium*
“Sample size drives measures of network connectivity in bat fly microbiomes”
October 2019 Dept. of Biology Seminar, University of New Mexico* Albuquerque, NM
“Sources of variation in the microbiomes of blood-feeding insect parasites of bats”
July 2019 International Bat Research Conference, Oral Phuket, Thailand
“Facultative bacteria may be conserved within the microbiomes of ectoparasites”
June 2019 American Society of Mammalogists, Oral Washington, DC
“Facultative bacteria may be conserved within the microbiomes of ectoparasites”
June 2019 Evolution, Oral Providence, RI
“Facultative bacteria may be conserved within the microbiomes of ectoparasites”
August 2018 Ecological Society of America, Oral* New Orleans, LA
“Effects of environment and host ecology on the microbiome of ectoparasites with
implications for parasite conservation.”
July 2018 American Society of Parasitology, Oral Cancún, Mexico
“Effects of habitat fragmentation on the microbiome of blood-feeding ectoparasites
of bats.”
June 2017 Evolution, Poster Portland, OR
“Interaction networks of bats, their blood-feeding parasites, and the microbiome.”
June 2017 American Society of Mammalogists, Lightning Talk Moscow, ID
“Diversification rate in mammals and association with genome size and life history”
February 2017 The Metropolitan Society of Natural Historians, Oral* New York, NY
“Host evolution through the eyes of a parasite.”
July 2016 American Society of Parasitology, Oral Edmonton, Canada
“Using bat flies to track the movements of their hosts.”
June 2016 Evolution, Poster Austin, TX
“Bacterial Diversity in ectoparasites of bats.”
October 2015 North American Society for Bat Research, Oral Monterey, CA
“Dispersal of bats in an island system.”
June 2015 American Society of Mammalogists, Oral Jacksonville, FL
“Using bat flies to track the movement of their hosts.”
June 2014 Evolution, Lightning Talk Raleigh, NC
“Using parasite genetics to infer patterns of host dispersal.”
June 2014 American Society of Mammalogists, Oral Oklahoma City, OK
“Estimating genetic diversity, dispersal, and population structure across island

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populations of Brazilian free-tailed bats.”

August 2013 International Bat Research Conference, Poster San Juan, PR
“Estimating genetic diversity and population structure across a biogeographic barrier
in Mexican Free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis).”
January 2013 International Biogeography Society, Poster Miami, FL
“Keeping conservation aims current: An updated survey of Bahamian bats (Order:
Chiroptera).”
June 2012 American Society of Mammalogists, Poster Reno, NV
“Clarifying the diversity of Mountain Voles (Genus Alticola) in Mongolia.”
April 2010 University of New Mexico Research Day, Poster Albuquerque, NM
“A relict population of shrews in New Mexico illustrates spatiotemporal
diversification in response to environmental change.”
August 2009 Ecological Society of America, Poster Albuquerque, NM
“Evidence for a relict population of shrews in northern New Mexico.”
September 2009 University of New Mexico Research Day, Oral Albuquerque, NM
“Evidence for a relict population of shrews in northern New Mexico.”

Outreach Presentations
October 2021 Bat Week Social Media Post, National Museum of Natural History
Post on ecosystem services and diversity of Bahamian bats, garnered >1k engagements
March 2021 Parasite Week Social Media Takeover, National Museum of Natural History
1-week takeover social media channels, garnered 20K engagements, and museum
followers increased by over 200
March 2021 Parasite Week Classroom Presentation Acworth, GA
Remote oral presentation to elementary school children
January 2021 Science Tonight, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
“The value of parasite conservation.” A virtual talk show broadcast on
YouTube and viewed by over 30 people.
October 2020 Bat Week Social Media Takeover, National Museum of Natural History
1-week takeover social media channels, reached over 700,000 feeds,
received over 30,000 interactions, museum followers increased by over 1,000
May 2020 Skype-a-Scientist Washington, DC
Remote oral presentation to elementary- and middle school-aged children
February 2019 Science Diplomacy and Natural History Collections New York, NY
Oral presentation on science diplomacy in international collaboration
Delivered to Rockefeller University Ph.D. students and Postdocs
October 2018 VERSUS: Bats v. Spiders New York, NY
Ticketed debate event at local pub – bats won!
October 2018 Biology On Tap New York, NY
Oral Presentation on Bat Conservation at local pub
July 2018 GSTEM Girls in Science New York, NY
Oral presentation on navigating college to reach a career in science delivered
to high school students from underserved communities
May 2018 Animal Trivia New York, NY
Hosted desert animal themed trivia at local pub
June 2018 Ph.Dads Interview New York, NY
Interview for Father’s Day about what my father thinks I study
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfcruGtplwFPS1CSTWfSMUMQ95aNjWue
April 2017 Meet the Scientist New York, NY
Oral presentation to children ages 7-14 about being a scientist
December 2016 Research Open House Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico
Oral presentation at the UNAM research open house

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October 2016 Bats and Brews Islip, NY

Oral presentation at the Seatuck Nature Conservancy
October 2016 Animal Trivia New York, NY
Hosted Animal Trivia on bat biology at local pub
December 2015 Secret World Inside Us Educator’s Evening New York, NY
Display table on microbial research and applying it in high school classrooms
May 2015 Interview with the American Institute of Physics Gainesville, FL
Video disseminating science on bats to the public
July 2014 “Animals and Survival” Summer Camp Gainesville, FL
Museum specimens as examples of mammalian survival
strategies to children ages 4-10
July 2014 Natural History Collections and High School Science Classes Gainesville, FL
Workshop for High School teachers on how to incorporate
online databases into science curriculum
April 2014 & Florida Museum Earth Day Gainesville, FL
April 2015 Display table of native mammals of Florida
October 2013 Florida Museum Butterfly Fest Gainesville, FL
Display table of mammals that interact with wetlands of Florida
July 2013 “Science and Ninjas” Summer Camp Gainesville, FL
“Animals can be ninjas too!” delivered to children ages 4-10
July 2013 STEM Immersion Summer Camp Gainesville, FL
“What I do as a biologist” delivered to high school students
June 2013 Long Island Museum and Bats in The Bahamas Long Island, The Bahamas
Delivered to community members and museum staff
June 2013 Rand Nature Center and Bat Caves Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
“Conservation of Bahamian Caves” delivered to children ages 6-14 attending
the Salvation Army summer camp
June 2013 & Professional development and Training Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
May 2014 Trained officials from The Bahamas National Trust, focusing on species of
bats in The Bahamas and conservation of bats
September 2012 Littlewood Elementary School Gainesville, FL
“What bones tell us about behavior” delivered to 5th grade class as part of
the animal form and function curriculum
October 2011 Santa Fe Indian School Santa Fe, NM
“Opportunities that college has provided me” delivered to 7th and 8th grade
Students

Service
Journal Reviews
Trends in Microbiology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Journal of Parasitology, Journal
of Mammalogy, PLoS One, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Molecular Ecology
Other Service
June 2014 – Program Committee Member and Subcommittee Chair
present American Society of Mammalogists
January 2021– Digitized specimen data for >1200 pinned Diptera
present National Museum of Natural History
August 2021 Emerging Scientists Symposium Co-Organizer and Moderator
Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute

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June – July 2021 Task Force: Development of Genomics Community

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

October 2016 – Graduate Student Representative

September 2018 Richard Gilder Graduate School Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program
Committee
September 2015 – Graduate Student Representative, American Museum of Natural History
May 2017 Women in Natural Science Steering Committee
August 2013 – Laboratory Hazardous Waste Manager
May 2015 Dr. David Reed’s Lab at the University of Florida
August 2014 – Committee for Undergraduate Research Member
May 2015 University of Florida, Department of Biology
August 2014 – Graduate Student Awards Committee Member
May 2015 University of Florida, Department of Biology
January 2014 – Department of Biology T-shirt Fundraising
August 2014 Designed, developed and implemented a t-shirt fundraising campaign for the
University of Florida Department of Biology, which successfully funded 2
grants for graduate and undergraduate students.
January 2013 – Department of Biology Social Committee Member,
January 2014 University of Florida, Department of Biology

Programming Languages
Python (Proficient)
R (Proficient)
Julia (Familiar)

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