How can non-native/invasive species and their sources be identified?
Non-native species can quickly establish populations and outcompete native taxa. Sometimes, non-natives carry vectors of disease and transmit infections to native hosts, causing decreased fitness or death in native taxa.
Currently, I am working on two fronts:
Identifying population-level genetic variation within pentastome lung parasites found in North American endemic snake species.
Quantifying critical thermal limits of Mediterranean House Geckos throughout different protocols. I lead one of five teams coordinating quarterly sampling sessions. Standby for data!
How do anthropogenic disturbances influence genetic diversity?
Waterways are increasingly under threat due to human influences. Pollution, dewatering, and damming are major examples of anthropogenic disturbances of rivers and streams and can be found ubiquitously throughout the world. The effects of these disturbances can be observed and described using genetic methods by examining population connectivity and fragmentation. My research aims to investigate the genetic effects of these disturbances, particularly on the native ichthyofauna. By understanding the dynamics of a population, conservation and restoration methods can be more reliably implemented by local, state, or federal agencies.
My research program involves collaborators at other institutions, from other countries, and at various education levels. I strongly value contributions, opinions, and perspectives from cultures different from my own. When we as researchers take intentional steps to bring diversity to our community, the entire field benefits from novel perspectives into research questions and implications.
I was first recruited into a freshwater fish genetics lab as an undergraduate. Over a decade later, I continue to focus primarily on fishes, but my skills and knowledge have led me to collaborations beyond the ichthyological realm.
As an undergraduate, I worked on live-bearing Mexican fish in the Tribe Chapalichthyini.
My Master's research focused on the southeastern United States endemic Percina nigrofasciata, the Blackbanded Darter, to understand how the species moved and diversified across the coastal plain.
At Auburn University, I work on the systematics and taxonomy of African barbs, a group desperately in need of taxonomic revision.
Other population genetics questions have piqued my interest. I have collaborative papers on snakes, snake parasites, and salamanders.