(888) 224-1221
LocationsGeneticist/Molecular Biologist
B.S. Biology; Ph.D. Genetics
GENIDAQS
WHO WE ARE
Morgan Maly, Ph.D.
Morgan is a molecular ecologist and geneticist with 16 years of experience applying genetic and molecular tools to wildlife and aquatic biodiversity research. Her expertise spans the full arc of metabarcoding studies from field sampling and sequencing, through bioinformatic processing and data delivery. She has particular interest in building robust, reproducible analytical pipelines and developing multivariate statistical and machine learning models to translate complex genomic datasets into management-relevant findings. Prior to joining CFS, Morgan served as an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow at the USFS National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, where she led eDNA study design and aquatic biodiversity monitoring in collaboration with federal and multi-agency partners. Her doctoral research at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute focused on conservation genetics and microbiome science in support of endangered species management.
Selected Publications
Maly, M. A., R. B. Roberts, M. Keady, A. Schmidt-Küntzel, M. Maxwell, L. L. Marker, M. Breen, C. Muletz Wolz, and A. E. Crosier. 2025. Fecal microbiota is more stable during degradation and more diverse for ex situ cheetahs in Namibian compared to the USA. Frontiers in Conservation Science 5:1503026. doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2024.1503026
Maly, M. A., A. E. Crosier, M. Keady, R. Roberts, M. Breen, and C. Muletz Wolz. 2024. Stability of fecal microbiota during degradation in ex situ cheetahs in the USA. Microbiota and Host 2(1):e230022.
Koester, D.C., M. A. Maly, S. B. Putman, K. L. Edwards, and A. E. Crosier. 2022. An investigation of ovarian and adrenal hormone activity in post-ovulatory cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Animals 12(7): 809. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070809
Maly, M. A., K. L. Edwards, D. C. Koester, C. E. Farin, and A. E. Crosier. 2021. Assessing puberty in female Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) via faecal hormone metabolites and body weight. Reproduction Fertility and Development 33(18):841-854. doi: 10.1071/RD21169
Crosier, A. E., J. Lamy, P. Bapodra, S. Rapp, M. Maly, R. Junge, H. Haefele, J. Ahistus, J. Santiestevan, and P. Comizzoli. 2020. First birth of Cheetah cubs from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Animals 10(10):1811 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101811
Maly, M. A., K. L. Edwards, C. E. Farin, D. C. Koester, and A. E. Crosier. 2018. Assessing puberty in male captive Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) via fecal hormone metabolites and body weights. General and Comparative Endocrinology 268:22-33.
Koester, D. C., D. E. Wildt, M. A. Maly, P. Comizzoli, and A. E. Crosier. 2017. Non-invasive identification of protein biomarkers for early pregnancy diagnosis in the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). PLoS ONE 12(12):e0188575.