Current Position
Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, 2012-present (advisor James P. Noonan)
Education
Ph.D., Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2006-2011 (advisor Günter P. Wagner)
M.A., New York University, Physical Anthropology, 2004-2006 (advisors Susan C. Antón and Todd R. Disotell)
M.A., San Francisco State University, Secondary Education, 2002-2004
B.A., Integrative Biology and Middle Eastern Studies (High Distinction), University of California, Berkeley, 1995-1999
Honors and Awards
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA), National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH, 2013-2016
John Spangler Nicholas Prize for outstanding doctoral student in Biology, Yale University, 2012
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, 2007
Distinguished Achievement Award for Academic Excellence, San Francisco State University, College of Education, 2004
Department Recognition Award, University of California, Berkeley, Middle Eastern Studies, 1999
Research Areas/Interests
Evolution of development; gene regulatory evolution; human evolution; brain development and evolution; transposable elements; functional and computational genomics
Previous Positions
Adjunct Professor, Sacred Heart University, Concepts in Biology Lab, 2014-2015
Teaching Fellow, Yale University, Human Genetic Variation, 2008
Teaching Fellow, Yale University, Principles of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, 2008
Teaching Fellow, Yale University, Conservation Biology, 2007
Editorial Associate, Journal of Human Evolution with Dr. Susan Antón, 2005-2006
Biology Teacher, Salesian High School, Richmond, California, 2000-2004
Laboratory Assistant, Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, CA, 1995-1997
Membership in Professional Societies
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution; Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology; American Association of Physical Anthropologists
Professional Service
Peer Reviewer for (number of manuscripts): Nature (1); Nature Neuroscience (1); Nature Reviews Genetics (2); Genome Research (1); Journal of Experimental Zoology B (3); BioEssays (1); Journal of Human Evolution (1); BMC Evolutionary Biology (1).
Publications
Kin, K., Maziarz, J., Chavan, A.R., Kamat, M., Vasudevan, S., Birt, A., Emera, D., Lynch, V.J., Ott, T.L., Pavlicev, M., Wagner, G.P., 2016. The transcriptomic evolution of mammalian pregnancy: gene expression innovations in endometrial stromal fibroblasts. Genome Biology and Evolution. doi:10.1093/gbe/evw168.
Emera, D., Yin, J., Reilly, S., Gockley, J., Noonan, J.P., 2016. Origin and evolution of developmental enhancers in the mammalian neocortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A 113 (19) E2617-E2626.
Reilly, S.K., Yin, J., Ayoub, A.E., Emera, D., Leng, J., Cotney, J., Sarro, R., Rakic, P., Noonan, J.P., 2015. Evolutionary changes in promoter and enhancer activity during human corticogenesis. Science 347 (6226): 1155-1159.
Lynch, V.J., Nnamani, M.C., Kapusta, A., Brayer, K., Plaza, S.L., Mazur, E.C., Emera, D., Sheikh, S.Z., Grützner, F., Bauersachs, S., Graf, A., Young, S.L., Lieb, J.D., DeMayo, F.J., Feschotte, C., Wagner, G.P., 2015. Ancient Transposable Elements Transformed the Uterine Regulatory Landscape and Transcriptome during the Evolution of Mammalian Pregnancy. Cell Reports 10: 551–561.
Cotney, J., Leng, J., Yin, J., Reilly, S., DeMare, L., Emera, D., Ayoub, A., Rakic, P., Noonan, J., 2013. The evolution of lineage-specific regulatory activities in the human embryonic limb. Cell 154: 185-196.
Emera, D., Wagner, G., 2012. Transformation of a transposon into a derived prolactin promoter with function during human pregnancy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A 109: 11246-11251.
Emera, D., Wagner, G., 2012. Transposable element recruitments in the mammalian placenta: impacts and mechanisms. Briefings in Functional Genomics 11: 267-276.
Wagner, G., Tong, Y., Emera, D., Romero, R., 2012. An Evolutionary Test of the Isoform Switching Hypothesis of Functional Progesterone Withdrawal: humans have a weaker trans-repressive effect of PR-A than mice. Journal of Perinatal Medicine 40: 345-351.
Emera, D., Romero, R., Wagner, G., 2012. The evolution of menstruation: a new model for genetic assimilation: explaining molecular origins of maternal responses to fetal invasiveness. Bioessays 34: 26-35. *Faculty of 1000 Biology Evaluated Article.
Emera, D., Casola, C., Lynch, V.L., Wildman, D., Agnew, D., Wagner, G., 2012. Convergent evolution of endometrial prolactin expression in primates, mice, and elephants through the independent recruitment of transposable elements. Molecular Biology and Evolution 29: 239-247.
Dalla Valle, L., Nardi, A., Bonazza, G., Zuccal, C., Emera, D., Alibardi, L., 2010. Forty keratin-associated b-Proteins (b-keratins) form the hard layers of scales, claws, and adhesive pads in the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Journal Of Experimental Zoology (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 314B: 11-32.
Dalla Valle, L., Nardi, A., Toni, M., Emera, D., Alibardi, L., 2009. Beta-keratins of turtle shell are glycine-proline-tyrosine rich proteins similar to those of crocodilians and birds. Journal of Anatomy 214: 284-300.
Dalla Valle, L., Nardi, A., Gelmi, C., Toni, M., Emera, D., Alibardi, L., 2009. Beta-keratins of the crocodilian epidermis: composition, structure, and phylogenetic relationships. Journal of Experimental Zoology (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 312B: 42-57.
Lynch, V.J., Tanzer, A., Wang, Y., Leung, F., Gellersen, B., Emera, D., Wagner, G.P., 2008. Adaptive changes in the transcription factor HoxA-11 are essential for the evolution of pregnancy in mammals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 105: 14928-14933. *Faculty of 1000 Biology Evaluated Article.
Book Reviews
Emera, D., 2014. YW Loke, Life’s Vital Link: The Astonishing Role of the Placenta. Evolution, medicine, and public health 2014: 30-31
Presentations and abstracts
Emera, D., Yin, J., Reilly, S., Noonan, J.P., 2015. Evolutionary origins of developmental enhancers in the mammalian neocortex. Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria.
Reilly, S., Yin, J., Ayoub, A., Emera, D., Rakic, P., Noonan, J.P., 2015. Evolutionary changes in promoter and enhancer activity during human corticogenesis. Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria.
Emera, D., Yin, J., Reilly, S., Noonan, J.P., 2014. Regulatory innovations contributing to neocortical evolution. Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Wagner, G., Emera, D., Lynch, V., 2012. Transposable element mediated gene regulatory network innovation: the evolution of placental mammals. Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, Dublin, Ireland.
Emera, D., Casola, C., Lynch, V.J., Wildman, D., Agnew, D., Wagner, G.P., 2011. Convergent evolution of endometrial prolactin expression in the human and elephant lineage through independent recruitment of transposable elements. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, UT.
Emera, D. 2010. Evolution of decidual prolactin expression and its consequences. Graduate Student Seminar, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University.
Emera, D. 2009. Mechanisms of primate parturition and menstruation. Graduate Student Seminar, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University.
Emera, D. 2008. Transposable Elements. Guest Lecture in Human Genetic Variation, Yale University
Emera, D., Wagner, G.P., 2008. Molecular evolution of MER-39 and consequences on the evolution of menstruation in primates. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, MA.
Emera, D., 2008. Evolution of transcriptional regulation by transposable elements: the case of MER-39, prolactin, and primate menstruation. Graduate Student Seminar, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University.
Antón, S.C., Quinn, R.L., Pobiner, B., Emera, D., Solomon, I., Disotell, T.R., Steadman, D.W., 2007. New evidence for ritual activity, relatedness, and diet in the precontact Cook Islands. American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Philadelphia, PA.