Naoko Kurata

Postdoctoral Associate, Natural Resources and the Environment Section

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About

Naoko, originally from Nagano, Japan, integrates her profound respect for aquatic ecosystems into innovative research at the intersection of genomics and conservation. Her master's thesis effectively combined genomic approaches with satellite technology to understand sea surface microbial communities. As a visiting scholar at the Center for Conservation Genomics at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, Naoko applied various sequencing techniques across diverse projects, including studies of primate milk microbiomes and screening the deadliest fungal diseases in bat museum specimens. During her Ph.D. dissertation research, she investigated fish evolutionary mechanisms in the Congo River Basin, aiming to establish crucial baseline data for effective fishery management and conservation strategies. Currently, at Cornell University, Naoko leads the development of a strategy to incorporate DNA-based ingredient tracing into the next generation of aquaculture feed sustainability certifications. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the world with her three kids, visiting state parks, cooking, and traveling.

Education

Ph.D. Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York/American Museum of Natural History M.S. Marine Biology, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center

Recent Research

Kurata, N. P., Stiassny, M. L. J., Hickerson, M. J., & Alter, S. E. (2024). Impacts of Quaternary Climatic Changes on the Diversification of Riverine Cichlids in the Lower Congo River. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icae021. Mulder, K. P., Savage, A. E., Gratwicke, B., Longcore, J. E., Bronikowski, E., Evans, M., Longo, A. V., Kurata, N. P., Walsh, T., Pasmans, F., McInerney, N., Murray, S., Martel, A., & Fleischer, R. C. (2024). Sequence capture identifies fastidious chytrid fungi directly from host tissue. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 170, 103858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103858 Kurata, N. P., Hickerson, M. J., Hoffberg, S. L., Gardiner, N., Stiassny, M. L. J., & Alter, S. E. (2022). Riverscape genomics of cichlid fishes in the lower Congo: Uncovering mechanisms of diversification in an extreme hydrological regime. Molecular Ecology, 31(13), 3516–3532. Muletz‐Wolz, C. R., Kurata, N. P., Himschoot, E. A., Wenker, E. S., Quinn, E. A., Hinde, K., Power, M. L., & Fleischer, R. C. (2019). Diversity and temporal dynamics of primate milk microbiomes. American Journal of Primatology, 81(10–11), e22994. Campana, M. G., Kurata, N. P., Foster, J. T., Helgen, L. E., Reeder, D. M., Fleischer, R. C., & Helgen, K. M. (2017). White-Nose Syndrome Fungus in a 1918 Bat Specimen from France. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(9), 1611–1612. Kurata, N., Vella, K., Hamilton, B., Shivji, M., Soloviev, A., Matt, S., Tartar, A., & Perrie, W. (2016). Surfactant-associated bacteria in the near-surface layer of the ocean. Scientific Reports, 6(1), Article 1.

Contact Information

NYC

nk628 [at] cornell.edu