Post Doctoral Researcher, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania (2016 – present).
I am an evolutionary ecologist that uses experiments and genomic tools to answer questions about rapid evolution and community ecology. At the broadest level I am interested in understanding what factors influence the trajectory of populations and ecological communities. Much of my research centers on understanding the fate of populations and communities in changing environments, with a focus on investigating how rapid evolution shapes ecological dynamics and the persistence of populations. I have particular zest for studying the ecology and evolution that occurs in freshwater ecosystems, but I study several organisms in my research.
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Paul Schmidt. My postdoctoral research is also in collaboration with Dr. Dmitri Petrov at Stanford University. I completed my PhD at the University of British Columbia with Dr. Dolph Schluter in 2016
My current postdoctoral research seeks to understand when and how rapid evolution shapes populations. I use the model system, Drosophila melanogaster, in outdoor experimental enclosures to experimentally manipulate the pace of evolution with the goal of understanding how genetic changes ultimately influence the fate of populations. In short, we want to know what factors influence whether evolution can rescue populations that are declining due to changing climates.
My PhD research largely focused on understanding how rapid evolution alters ecological communities in freshwater. This work entailed experiments ranging from entirely ecological studies of trophic cascades to wholly evolutionary work on the genomics of adaptation.
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2016
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology
ThinkSwiss Fellow, 2016
Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeochemistry-EAWAG
PhD in Zoology, 2016
University of British Columbia
BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2010
University of Rochester
Post Doctoral Researcher, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania (2016 – present).
Having grown up in the great lakes region much of my research is motivated by a desire to understand the rapid evolution, ecology, and physiology of freshwater organisms.
Ecologist have studied the factors that regulate populations and shape ecological communities for over a century. One factor that was NOT traditionally considered is that rapid evolution could shape ecological dynamics. Many lab-based experiments have demonstrated that rapid evolution can dictate population dynamics, but there is little know about how common in natural ecosystems. My research in this area seeks to add ecological realism to understand when and how rapid evolution shapes ecology
Many fields of biology have tremendously benefitted from the increasing availability of whole genome data. Genetic data has become crucial to many areas of ecology, but whole genome data has not proven particularly beneficial. In this area of my research I seek to use whole genome data as a tool to increase the predictability of community ecology.