Areas of interest: big data, biodiversity, biogeography, computational biology, conservation, genomics,
population genetics, phylogeography, salamanders, systematics
I am broadly interested in the eco-evolutionary processes that have shaped current
biodiversity patterns. My lab works to integrate various types of data (genetic, geographic,
environmental, life history, and morphological) to understand these complex processes. Collaborations
with those from other sub-disciplines in biology are a great way to answer these questions.
There are several big datasets that I have aggregated over the last few years that
lend themselves easily to various research projects in computational biology. I am
happy to discuss developing projects in ecology and evolution that focus on any organism
from viruses to rotifers to large mammals.
We conduct local fieldwork with the aquatic ecology lab to sample water and soil samples
to estimate biodiversity by sequencing the DNA found in environmental samples. We
also sequence DNA in targeted insect and salamander species to estimate genetic diversity
and dispersal for conservation purposes. Ecological niche modeling is also an active
area of research in my lab.
The skills developed using computational methods and statistics in biology transfer
to all areas of scientific work so I strive to include hands-on practice in all areas
of teaching and mentoring.
Please contact me if you are interested in working in my lab!
