VITA
Nicholas R Polato
nickpolato@gmail.com
EDUCATION:
2006 – 2012: Ph.D. Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA.
Thesis: Interactions between environmental stress and genetic diversity in reef building
corals
Advisor: Dr. Iliana Baums
1995 – 2000: B.S. Biology and B.S. Environmental Studies, SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo NY.
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS:
2008 – 2011: National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
2010: Penn State University Department of Biology Braddock Graduate Fellowship
2009: Kansas State Ecological Genomics Travel Award
2006 – 2007: Penn State University Graduate Fellowship
TEACHING & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2012- present: Postdoctoral Researcher, Baums Lab, Penn State University, University Park, PA
Spring 2009 & 2012: Teaching Assistant, Bio220 - Ecology and Evolution
2003 – 2006: Laboratory Technician, McCouch Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2003: Survey Team Leader, Southern Sierra Research Station, Weldon, CA
2002: Biological Field Technician, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver, CO
PUBLICATIONS:
Polato N.R., N.A. Altman, I.B. Baums (in review) “Intra-population variation in the transcriptional
response of threatened coral larvae to elevated temperatures”. Molecular Ecology.
Baums I.B., M.K. Devlin-Durante, N.R. Polato, et al. (in review) “Genotypic variation influences
reproductive success and thermal stress tolerance in the reef building coral, Acropora palmata”.
Coral Reefs.
Baums I.B., J.N. Boulay, N.R. Polato, and M.E. Hellberg (2012) “No gene flow across the Eastern
Pacific Barrier in the reef-building coral Porites lobata”. Molecular Ecology, doi: 10.1111/j.1365294X.2012.05733.x.
Polato N.R., J.C. Vera, I.B. Baums (2011). "Gene Discovery in the Threatened Elkhorn Coral: 454
Sequencing of the Acropora palmata Transcriptome." PloS one 6(12): e28634.
Polato N.R., Voolstra C.R., Schnetzer J., et al. (2010). “Location-Specific Responses to Thermal
Stress in Larvae of the Reef-Building Coral Montastraea faveolata.” PloS one 5, e11221.
Polato N.R., G.T Concepcion., R.J. Toonen and I.B. Baums (2010).”Isolation by distance across the
Hawaiian Archipelago in the reef-building coral Porites lobata.” Molecular Ecology, doi: 10.1111/
j.1365-294X.2010.04836.x.
Concepcion G.T., N.R. Polato, I.B. Baums and R.J. Toonen (2010) “Development of microsatellite
markers from four Hawaiian corals: Acropora cytherea, Fungia scutaria, Montipora capitata and
Porites lobata”. Conservation Genetics.
VITA
Nicholas R Polato
nickpolato@gmail.com
Thomson M.J., N.R. Polato, J. Prasetiyono, et al. (2009). "Genetic Diversity of Isolated
Populations of Indonesian Landraces of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Collected in East Kalimantan on the
Island of Borneo." Rice 2(1): 80-92.
Caicedo, A. L., S. H. Williamson, R. Hernandez, et al. (2007). "Genome-wide patterns of
nucleotide polymorphism in domesticated rice." PLoS Genet 3(9): 1745-1756.
Mather, K. A., A. L. Caicedo, N.R. Polato, et al. (2007). "The extent of linkage disequilibrium in
rice (Oryza sativa L.)." Genetics 177(4): 2223.
Olsen, K. M., A. L. Caicedo, N.R. Polato, et al. (2006). "Selection under domestication: evidence
for a sweep in the rice Waxy genomic region." Genetics 173(2): 975.
Oral Presentations:
Polato, N. R., Baums, I. B. (March 2012) “Genotypic variation in the larval transcriptional
response of an endangered coral to elevated temperatures: Intra-population variation in Puerto
Rico”. 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Polato, N. R., Vera, J. C., Baums, I. B. (November 2010). “The Effect of Stress on the Endangered
Elkhorn Coral”. Student Conference on Conservation Science, New York, NY.
Polato, N. R., C. R. Voolstra, et al. (October 2010). “Variation in the genetic response to high
temperatures in Montastraea faveolata embryos from the Florida Keys and Mexico”. 1st Annual
Conference and Workshop on the Florida Keys Marine Ecosystem, Duck Key, FL.
Polato, N. R., C. R. Voolstra, et al. (March 2010). “Gene expression profiles reveal locationspecific responses to thermal stress in larvae of a reef building coral”. 39th Annual Benthic
Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC.
Polato, N. and I. B. Baums (June 2008). “Connectivity and climate change: implications for a reef
building coral in the eastern Pacific”. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft Lauderdale,FL.
Polato, N. R. and I. B. Baums (April 2008). “Connectivity and climate change: impacts on a reef
building coral in the eastern Pacific”. 37th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Providence, RI.
Poster Presentations:
Polato, N. R., Vera, J. C., Baums, I. B. (November 2011).” Using transcriptomics to characterize
diversityin a coral’s response to thermal stress”. 9th Annual Ecological Genomics Symposium,
Kansas City, MO.
Polato, N. R., Vera, J. C., Baums, I. B. (March 2010) “The transcriptome of the threatened
Elkhorn Coral, Acropora palmata”. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC.
Polato, N. R., Baums, I. B. (November 2009).” Profiling population-specific responses to stress in
a reef building coral”. 7th Annual Ecological Genomics Symposium, Kansas City, MO.
VITA
Nicholas R Polato
nickpolato@gmail.com
Polato, N. R. and I. B. Baums (September 2007). “Connectivity and climate change: implications
for a reef building coral in the eastern Pacific”. 3rd International Conservation Genetics
Symposium, New York, NY.
Polato, N. R., I. B. Baums, et al. (March 2007).” ENSO mediated gene flow in the eastern Pacific”.
American Academy of Underwater Scientists Annual Meeting, Miami, FL.
Polato, N. R., J. Freedman, et al. (March 2007). “The status of Dreissenid mussels in the inland
waters of Pennsylvania”. AAUS Annual Meeting, Miami, FL.