How can some species thrive in urban environments while others disappear? I'm studying the effects of urbanization on house finches, a successful urban adapter, by comparing the behavior and physiology of urban and desert-dwelling house finches. Currently I am quantifying oxidative stress using a suite of variables including damaged molecules and a few types of antioxidants.

Do animals have personalities, and do personalities impact population dynamics? Currently I am addressing these questions in house finches by examining whether different personality types handle stress and sickness differently, and whether these differences affect fitness.

For my Master's thesis, I profiled personality in black-capped and Carolina chickadees, sister species that hybridize readily. Personality might factor into their mating decisions, which could drive widespread hybridization.