Giovanni A. Crestani

Giovanni A. Crestani

PhD Candidate in Integrative Biology

Burke Lab

Integrative Biology

Oregon State University

Hello, I'm Giovanni Crestani!

I’m a PhD student in the Burke Lab at Oregon State University, working on evolutionary genetics. My main project uses population genomics to study how Drosophila melanogaster populations adapt under decades of selection for postponed reproduction. I’m also drawn to information theory in biological systems and the evolutionary dynamics of complex systems more broadly.

Education

  • PhD, Integrative Biology (in progress) , Oregon State University · 2022–present
  • BSc, Biological Sciences (Licentiate) , Federal University of Santa Catarina · 2022

Research

My PhD research uses population genomics to understand how complex traits adapt. I work with a Drosophila melanogaster system created in the 1980s: populations under continuous selection for postponed reproduction (only old flies are allowed to reproduce), which has produced striking phenotypes — including flies that live more than twice as long as usual. By reconstructing the genomic changes behind this adaptation, I aim to understand how reproducible, reversible, and parallel evolution really is.

Keywords: Experimental Evolution, Evolutionary Genomics, Drosophila melanogaster

Publications

Parallel adaptive responses to postponed reproduction increase lifespan and immune defense

Gamboa-Santarosa KA*, Crestani GA*, Moran A, Modha D, Dugo HS, Abdoli M, Burke MK, Shahrestani P. (2026). bioRxiv. doi: 10.64898/2026.02.25.708047

Manuscript in review, invited for resubmission. *Equal contribution.

Projects

Burke Lab Pipeline
● Nextflow ★ 0 ⑂ 0
OmniAccess

AI-powered tool that improves accessibility in lecture presentations.

iPSC Pipeline
● R ★ 0 ⑂ 0
Dichotomous Key App

An HTML, javascript and CSS app to easily run a dichotomous key.

● JavaScript ★ 0 ⑂ 1

Teaching

I’m a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Introductory Biology at Oregon State University, where I help students get hands-on with core lab instruments and the scientific method. Students consistently describe a welcoming, patient, and well-organized lab environment.

Lectures Taught: BI 221

Labs Taught: BI 101, BI 103, BI 221, BI 222, BI 223

Average Student Evaluation: 5.5/6.0