'Scorpiomics' Leveraging New Data to Decipher the Ecology and Evolution of Arachnids

Lauren Esposito is Assistant Curator, Schlinger Chair of Arachnology and co-founder of 500 Queer Scientists and Islands & Seas. She studies the patterns and processes of evolution in scorpions and their fascinating venoms, spiders, and whip spiders. She is particularly interested in the interactions between biota, geology, and the climate that have led to the present-day assemblage of life on Earth. She feels that by understanding the history of life on Earth, we can make better informed decisions enabling the present-day flora and fauna to continue to adapt and evolve.

Lauren is passionate about public engagement and science education. By empowering students and citizen scientists -both in the U.S. and abroad - she strives to share the inherent wonder in the scientific process of research and discovery. She is committed to increasing global access to science tools and education, which led her to co-found the science and education non-profit Islands & Seas as well as the rapidly growing visibility campaign, 500 Queer Scientists. She is currently building a global network of small research and education stations on islands and along mainland coastlines where local residents, scientists, and tourists can work together to help conserve unique natural resources.