Gwendalyn Wulf, B.S.

Gwendalyn Wulf serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as a Research Associate in Conservation Genetics. In this position, she works as a member of the Northern White Rhino Initiative team. As part of that project, she works with genetic analyses and the production, maintenance and quantification of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblast cells stored in the Frozen Zoo® for potential use in assisted reproductive technologies.

Gwen’s research interests focus mainly on the potential transition of these preserved fibroblast cells to functional northern white rhino gametes. She will also use a variety of genetic and molecular techniques in order to ensure the quality of the cell cultures.

Gwendalyn earned her bachelor’s degree in Ecology from California State University, San Marcos with a minor in quantitative biology and biostatistics. During her time at CSU San Marcos, Gwendalyn was involved in many different research projects ranging from a population genetics study of California loggerhead shrikes to a metagenomic study of soil bacteria in post-fire locations in San Marcos using next-generation sequencing. Gwen got her start in research from the Summer Scholars program at CSU San Marcos and later received the Outstanding Faculty-Student Collaboration Award for her population genetics research of loggerhead shrikes. In her later undergraduate years, she also developed an interest in bioinformatics as a tool to analyze next-generation sequencing data. It was the research that she took part in, as well as many days spent at the San Diego Safari Park throughout her childhood, that led Gwen to develop a passion for conservation and research; eventually leading her to seek a career with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.