Welcome to our Evolutionary and Genomic Research Lab (EAGR Lab) Outreach website. Our research lab is located at the California State University in Fullerton and comprises graduate students, post-baccalaureate students, undergraduate students, community college students, high school students, and the Principal Investigator, Dr. Parvin Shahrestani. 

 

We study the evolution and genomics of aging, immune defense, and other health-relevant traits through experimentation and literature review. We use a model organism called Drosophila melanogaster, which is also known as the fruit fly, and is the most commonly used model organism in genetics research laboratories. Fruit flies and humans share about 70% of their disease genes, making our research applicable to human biology. 

 

University research labs are at the forefront of scientific discovery, and breakthroughs made by research students such as ours lead to much of what is published in journals and textbooks. We believe that as researchers we have a responsibility, not only to our scientist peers, but also to our broader communities. We want to spread science awareness and inspire others in their scientific curiosities, with the goal of diversifying research labs. 

 

Currently, many research labs are limited in their potential creativity and productivity by lacking racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. We believe that scientific progress is hindered by these limitations. Our mission is to help improve diversity and inclusion in the sciences by showing our children that anybody can become a research scientist.  

 

We hope that by viewing the material posted on this website, you will learn about the importance of research, the reliability of the scientific method, and the value of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We also hope to motivate you to actively pursue the unknown and think critically about the wonders of the world. Our EAGR students are the proof, that if you set your mind to it, you can be at the forefront of knowledge.