Grace Avecilla
Lecturer Doc Sch
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
- Biography
- Teaching
- Research and Creative Activity
- Service
Grace Avecilla is a Lecturer (Doctoral Schedule) in the Department of Natural Sciences at Baruch College. She earned her PhD in Biology from New York University, where she investigated the role of copy number variation in adaptive evolution, combining computational methods with experimental evolution in yeast. Before joining Baruch College, Grace was a Community Scientist at BioBus, a nonprofit dedicated to providing informal science education to students from historically underrepresented communities, ranging from kindergarten through college. Dr. Avecilla is passionate about making science accessible and relevant to all, and she is committed to ensuring that every student feels empowered to engage with scientific concepts. She continually strives to refine her teaching methods to create an inclusive, supportive environment that fosters curiosity and growth in her students.
Education
Ph.D., Biology, New York University New York United States
B.Sc., Biology, University of Central Florida Orlando United States
| Semester | Course Prefix | Course Number | Course Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | BIO | 1016 | Fundamentals of Biology |
| Fall 2024 | BIO | 1015 | Fund Of Bio - Gen, Evol, & Eco |
Journal Articles
(2025). Template switching during DNA replication is a prevalent source of adaptive gene amplification. 13.
(2023). Copy number variation alters local and global mutational tolerance. 33(8). 1340-1353.
(2022). Neural networks enable efficient and accurate simulation-based inference of evolutionary parameters from adaptation dynamics. 20(5). e3001633.
(2022). Complex Genomic Rearrangements following Selection in a Glutamine-Limited Medium over Hundreds of Generations. 11(11). e0072922.
(2021). Small RNAs Are Implicated in Regulation of Gene and Transposable Element Expression in the Protist Trichomonas vaginalis. 6(1).
(2018). Single-cell copy number variant detection reveals the dynamics and diversity of adaptation. 16(12). e3000069.
College
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Natural Sciences | Course Coordinator BIO 1015 & BIO 1016 | Present |