Graduate Courses
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2024 -
What: I teach the most used methods to study the pace of lineage diversification over time and also how (macro)evolutionary changes produce disparity in a wide variety of phenotypes. The main topics are 1) birth-death diversification models, 2) continuous trait evolution models (such as Brownian-motion and others derived from BM), 3) discrete trait evolution models (such as the Markov-model), and 4) State-dependent speciation and extinction models (SSE). The course also explores basic concepts of statistical inference such as approaches of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference using Markov-chain Monte Carlo.
Undergraduate Courses
BIO208 - Biodiversity
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2023 -
What: An introduction course that explores the diversity of life in this planet. In this course I show students the major clades (including bacteria, protists, animals, plants, and fungi). I focus on the evolutionary connection among lineages, their context in the environment, and the role of society in the conservation of the most vulnerable taxa and ecosystems. This course also tries to show students how humans are not in the center of the universe.
BIO206L - Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2022 -
What: Lab course where the students learn about fundamental concepts in Ecology and Evolution through active learning. Students will engage in article discussions, practice data analysis using Excel, make simulations of evolution, and participate in a long-term study about the phenology of trees in the Glen Arboretum.
MBBB301 - Introduction to Bioinformatics
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2022 -
What: Students learn about how to download molecular sequences from GenBank, create and edit fasta files, perform multispecies alignments, evaluate summary statistics from alignments among other fundamental skills in bioinformatics. This course is based on R and is the first experience in programming for most of the students. The course focus on the skills most used in bioinformatics both inside and outside academia. Every semester we have an interview (over Zoom) with a bioinformatics professional outside of academia who answers student questions about the profession and share experiences of how is to work in industry.
BIO456 - Computer skills for Biologists
Where: University of Idaho (Moscow, ID)
When: 2014
What: Students learn fundamental skills in computational biology including the structure of file directories, programming in python, regular expression, and their use in the biological sciences. The course focus on a project in which the student can exercise these skills.
Instructors: James Foster, Celeste Brown
Teaching Assistant: Daniel Caetano
Workshops
MCMC step by step - Workshop
Workshop aimed to show how Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are relativelly simple to understand and to implement. Students get an intuitive view of the inference method in the context of phylogenetic comparative methods.
The first workshop was held in Brazil (Universidade de São Paulo) in 2016. I intend to offer the workshop every year.
Instructor: Daniel Caetano
Software carpentry - Workshop
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA - Apr 27-28/2015
Instructors: Karl Broman, Kara Woo
Helpers: Ben Weinstein, Daniel Caetano, Matt Pennell, Matt Pruett
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2024 -
What: I teach the most used methods to study the pace of lineage diversification over time and also how (macro)evolutionary changes produce disparity in a wide variety of phenotypes. The main topics are 1) birth-death diversification models, 2) continuous trait evolution models (such as Brownian-motion and others derived from BM), 3) discrete trait evolution models (such as the Markov-model), and 4) State-dependent speciation and extinction models (SSE). The course also explores basic concepts of statistical inference such as approaches of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference using Markov-chain Monte Carlo.
Undergraduate Courses
BIO208 - Biodiversity
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2023 -
What: An introduction course that explores the diversity of life in this planet. In this course I show students the major clades (including bacteria, protists, animals, plants, and fungi). I focus on the evolutionary connection among lineages, their context in the environment, and the role of society in the conservation of the most vulnerable taxa and ecosystems. This course also tries to show students how humans are not in the center of the universe.
BIO206L - Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2022 -
What: Lab course where the students learn about fundamental concepts in Ecology and Evolution through active learning. Students will engage in article discussions, practice data analysis using Excel, make simulations of evolution, and participate in a long-term study about the phenology of trees in the Glen Arboretum.
MBBB301 - Introduction to Bioinformatics
Where: Towson University (Towson, MD)
When: 2022 -
What: Students learn about how to download molecular sequences from GenBank, create and edit fasta files, perform multispecies alignments, evaluate summary statistics from alignments among other fundamental skills in bioinformatics. This course is based on R and is the first experience in programming for most of the students. The course focus on the skills most used in bioinformatics both inside and outside academia. Every semester we have an interview (over Zoom) with a bioinformatics professional outside of academia who answers student questions about the profession and share experiences of how is to work in industry.
BIO456 - Computer skills for Biologists
Where: University of Idaho (Moscow, ID)
When: 2014
What: Students learn fundamental skills in computational biology including the structure of file directories, programming in python, regular expression, and their use in the biological sciences. The course focus on a project in which the student can exercise these skills.
Instructors: James Foster, Celeste Brown
Teaching Assistant: Daniel Caetano
Workshops
MCMC step by step - Workshop
Workshop aimed to show how Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are relativelly simple to understand and to implement. Students get an intuitive view of the inference method in the context of phylogenetic comparative methods.
The first workshop was held in Brazil (Universidade de São Paulo) in 2016. I intend to offer the workshop every year.
Instructor: Daniel Caetano
Software carpentry - Workshop
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA - Apr 27-28/2015
Instructors: Karl Broman, Kara Woo
Helpers: Ben Weinstein, Daniel Caetano, Matt Pennell, Matt Pruett