Our research focuses on how invertebrate animals develop, how they function, and how they have evolved. Specific projects often focus on the ecology and evolution of embryos and larval stages, especially those of annelids (like this scaleworm larva) and echinoderms, but also include a diversity of other topics in invertebrate biology. Look at our publications to get a better sense of our interests.

If interested in doing research in the lab, please contact me (the lab PI, Bruno Pernet)! I am always happy to speak with potential graduate students from around the U.S. and the world, as well as CSULB undergraduates. We can discuss project ideas you’ve come up with based on your coursework or field or lab observations, or I can suggest projects that I think are interesting. We are equipped to answer questions with descriptive and experimental techniques including larval culture, light and electron microscopy, video microscopy, basic DNA analyses, and field work; many more techniques are accessible by collaboration with other CSULB faculty, or faculty at nearby institutions.