Biography

Website: coming soon!

Video introduction: 

Courses:

Education:
BS (Biological Sciences), Cornell University (2011)
PhD (Genetics), Yale University (2018)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stowers Institute for Medical Research (2018-2025)

Research Expertise:
Genetics | Developmental Biology | Evo-Devo | Non-model research organisms

Member of:
Society for Developmental Biology (https://www.sdbonline.org/)

Recent Academic Projects:

Squamates (lizards and snakes) define the largest order of reptiles, comprising over 10,000 species, and have radiated and adapted to every niche on the planet. This diversity is established during the earliest embryonic stages. However, remarkably little is known about early development in non-avian reptiles. This is because most popular reptile research species have small clutches of 1-2 eggs per oviposition, and eggs are typically only seasonally available. Furthermore, at the time of egg laying the embryos are well into organogenesis, precluding the study of early processes like gastrulation, axis determination, and limb patterning among others.

Chameleons are notable for their unique evolutionary adaptations, including rapid color changes, craniofacial diversity, a projectile tongue, limb syndactyly and zygodactyly and a prehensile tail. However, little is known about the genetic and molecular basis of these adaptations.

We use veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) to investigate the evolution of early developmental processes and morphological adaptation in amniotes (reptiles and mammals) with a long-term goal of informing the study of human disease. Veiled chameleons breed well in captivity year-round, laying 50-90 eggs per clutch. At the time of egg laying, the embryos are at pre-gastrula stages of development, making it possible to study gastrulation, axis specification, and other early developmental processes.

The research projects in the lab follow one of three general directions:

Direction 1: Early embryonic development in amniotes
                        Example project: Gastrulation and left-right patterning

Direction 2: Evolutionary novelties and morphological adaptations
                        Example project: Limb patterning in veiled chameleons

Direction 3: Genome evolution and embryonic development
                        Example project: Sex determination in veiled chameleons

Recent Publications:

Full Bibliography: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0466-896X

Shylo NA*, Price AJ*, Robb S, Kupronis R, Guzmán Méndez IA, DeGraffenreid D, Gamble T, and Trainor PA. (2024) Chamaeleo calyptratus (veiled chameleon) chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation provides insights into the evolution of reptiles and developmental mechanisms. bioRxiv 2024.09.03.611012; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.03.611012.  *Equal contribution.

Weberling A*, Shylo NA*, Wilson H, McClain M, Kupronis R, Muensch A, Williams SA, Hollfelder F, Trainor Pa. Epiblast lumenogenesis is not a mammalian-specific trait. *Equal contribution. bioRxiv 2025.08.06.669009; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.06.669009.

Shylo NA, Trainor P. (2025) Genomic evolution of EGF-CFC genes in deuterostomes. Dev Dyn. 2025 Aug; 254(8):935-949. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.70051. Epub 2025 Jun 19. bioRxiv 2024.08.30.610562; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.30.610562.

Weberling A, Shylo NA, Kircher BK, Wilson H, McClain M, Marchini M, Starr KB, Sanger TJ, Hollfelder F, Trainor PA. (2025) Pre-oviposition development of the brown anole (Anolis sagrei). Dev Dyn. 2025 Apr 17. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.70027. Epub ahead of print. bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.15.628549.

Demler C, Lawlor JC, Yelin R, Llivichuzcha-Loja D, Shaulov L, Kim D, Stewart M, Lee FK, Shylo N, Trainor PA, Schultheiss TM, Kurpios NA. (2025) An atypical basement membrane forms a midline barrier during left-right asymmetric gut development in the chicken embryo. Elife. 2025 Apr 29;12:RP89494. doi: 10.7554/eLife.89494. bioRxiv 2023.08.15.553395; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.15.553395.

Shylo NA, Smith S, Price A, Guo F, McClain M, Trainor P. (2023) Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) reveals two Nodal paralogs involved in left-right patterning. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11. doi:10.3389/fcell.2023.1132166. bioRxiv 2023.01.18.524635; doi: 10.1101/2023.01.18.524635

Diaz RE Jr, Shylo NA, Roellig D, Bronner M, Trainor RA. (2019). Filling in the phylogenetic gaps: Induction, migration, and differentiation of neural crest cells in a squamate reptile, the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Dev Dyn. 248(8):709-727. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.38.