Current lab members

group photo of the Baum Lab — Baum Lab (Spring 2025); Back (L>R): Nicole Anderson, Ronan Montgomery-Taylor, Walid Lakdari, Katelyn Casey, Anushka Malaiya, Zhen Peng. Front (L>R): Tymofii Sokolskyi, David Baum, Emily Spencer

Professor of Botany
Phone: (608) 265 – 5385
Email: dbaum@wisc.edu
Twitter: @baobabbaum
Research Interests: Evolutionary and systematic theory; plant evolution and developmental genetics; origin of life; pollination biology

Curriculum Vitae (June 2026)

Tymofii Sokolskyi (he/him)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: sokolskyi@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Evolution-like dynamics of fatty acid vesicles; Origins of autocatalysis.
Website: https://www.tymsokolskyi.com/
Twitter: @globalglobule

Nicole Anderson (she/they)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: jjanderson27@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Origins of biological individuality and complexity

Emily Spencer (she/they)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: espencer7@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Origins of life; Astrobiology

Gabo Ochoa Samoff
Research Intern

Email: ochoasamoff@wisc.edu

Naz Michel
Undergraduate Student
Email: nmichel2@wisc.edu

Maddy Her
Undergraduate Student
Email: mher29@wisc.edu