Research Interests

My broad interests lie in the field of evolutionary genetics. I am interested in studying two ideas brought about by Darwin; natural selection and speciation. How is genetic variation in particular traits generated and maintained within populations?  How much does a genotype confer to a phenotype, and how much does the environment (external or chromosomal) contribute to the result?    I completed a Masters degree at the University of Central Florida investigating geographic variation in post-mating gene expression of immune-related pathways in female Drosophila melanogaster.  Currently I am a PhD student in Genetics at the University of Georgia, and am interested in studying how selfish genetic elements like X-driving chromosomes persist and influence populations.