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Research Focus

Paleobiology,  phylogenetics, broad scale trait evolution, computational methods in paleobiology and evolution

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Current Position

Stanford University, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences,
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability,
Stanford, CA

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Past Research Positions

American Museum of Natural History, Division of Paleontology
New York City, NY

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Education

Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History
New York City, NY

Monash University
Melbourne, Australia

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Grants and Awards

• Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research Award – 2023
• Paleontological Society Student Research Grant – 2023
  • President’s Student Research Award
• Annette Kade Graduate Fellowship – 2023
• Richard Gilder Graduate Fellowship – 2021 – 2024
• Monash University Honours Jubilee Scholarship – 2017
• Monash University Summer Research Scholarship – 2016 – 2017

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Previous Museum Research and Collections Positions

Museums Victoria – Melbourne, Australia

Museums Victoria – Melbourne, Australia

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Teaching and Mentoring

History of life and biodiversity

• Designed and led an eight week-long full-time program of research and experiential learning for a group of 15 high school interns
• Taught aspects of Earth history, paleobiology, evolution and extinction
• Mentored through both group and and independent research projects from conception to presentation of results
• Led marine and paleobiology fieldtrips along the Northern California coast and geology focussed camping trips to national parks

Systematics Core Course

• Developed and led computational-based lab course for graduate students 
  from RGGS, Columbia University and City University of New York
• Lectured on morphology-based phylogenetics

Summer Science and Research Course

• Co-developed and taught a course on invertebrate paleobiology, trilobites and research to high school students
• Led groups of high school students through entire research projects from project conception and design to presentation of results at a symposium

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Research Fieldwork

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Publications

See Publications page

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Conference Talks

See Publications page

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Invited Talks

Nikolic, M.C. 2025. Novel computational methods in trilobite phylogenetic and evolutionary-developmental biology. Stanford University, EPS Department Seminar.

Nikolic, M.C. 2023. Growing with trilobites: new approaches to studying development and evolution in this iconic fossil group. University of Zurich, Department of Palaeontology Seminar.

Nikolic, M.C. 2023. Growing with trilobites: approaches to studying development and evolution in this iconic fossil group. Rutgers University Geological Museum, Open House.

Nikolic, M.C. 2023. Growing with trilobites: approaches to studying development and evolution in this iconic fossil group. New York Paleontological Society.

Nikolic, M.C. 2023. Origin, Diversification and Extinction in Trilobites. Brooklyn College – CUNY, Seminars in Geology.

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Software development

Palaeoverse R package

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Outreach and Science Communication

See also the ‘Outreach‘ page

• NYC public school guest visits and paleontology/rock breaking activity – 2022 – 2024
• EarthFest at AMNH – 2024
• AMNH Summer Camp Guest Scientist – 2022 – 2024
• Invertebrate Paleontology collections tours at AMNH – 2022 – 2024
• Skype a Scientist talks – 2021 – 2022
• Entomology and Marine Invertebrate collections tours at Museums Victoria – 2018 – 2020
• Museums Victoria’s monthly ‘Nocturnal’ events – 2018 – 2019
• Museums Victoria’s Otways National Park BioScan community event – 2019
• “Creature Features” segment on TripleR (Melbourne) radio station – 2019
• September edition and ‘Best of 2018’ edition of Laborastory storytelling show – 2018

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Academic service

Conference session organizer and chair

Journal editorial service

Peer review

• Scientific Data – Nature
• Evolution
• Paleobiology x 2
• Acta Palaeontologia Polonica
• Global and Planetary Change