Current research

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How do social traits influence genome-wide patterns of evolution?

We know that organismal traits, ranging from generation time to temperature preference, can influence genome evolution across generations. But how do social traits influence the genome? Ants are a great group in which to explore this question: they are descended from a single, social ancestor, but have tons of diversity in interesting social traits, like reproductive and caste systems.

Here, I leveraged 22 ant genomes to understand how worker reproduction and worker caste polymorphisms modulate patterns of molecular evolution, both genome-wide and in candidate genes linked to this social traits. As predicted, worker reproduction is associated with an increase in selection intensity across the genome, but to our surprise, caste system has no clear effect on molecular evolution. Check out our paper in Genome Biology and Evolution to learn more.

What are the genetic mechanisms underlying morphological caste in Cephalotes ants?

In some ant species, multiple distinct adult morphologies can develop from a single genotype via developmental plasticity, producing polymorphic caste systems. I leverage the variation in caste system found across species in the ant genus Cephalotes to better understand the genetic mechanisms which may produce ant castes. .

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Past projects

How can we use invertebrate-ingested DNA to answer conservation questions?

During the summer of 2017, I worked with scientists at the American Museum of Natural History to determine which genes are most effective at identifying the vertebrate hosts of terrestrial bloodfeeding leeches, using DNA derived from the leech gut. I also examined the diversity of parasites harbored by the leeches in our dataset. For a PDF of the paper that came from this project, click here.

I returned to the AMNH in spring of 2019 to assist with another leech project, this time using bloodmeal DNA to determine the origin of leeches smuggled into the Toronto International Airport. For a PDF of the paper that came from this project, click here.

If you’d like to see the presentation on these projects that I gave at the 2019 Cornell EEB Winter Symposium, click here.

How does population fragmentation impact butterfly population genetics?

While completing my undergraduate degree at New College of Florida, I participated in conservation genetics studies of the federally-listed Dakota Skipper butterfly (Hesperia dacotae) and of the rare Florida Duskywing Skipper (Ephyriades brunnea) in the lab of Dr. Emily Heffernan. These projects used microsatellite markers to describe patterns of genetic drift, population isolation, and genetic diversity in each species. For a PDF of our publication on the Florida Duskywing, click here.

Other research experiences:

During my gap year, I took part in a number of research activities here at Cornell. Working with two researchers at the Lab of Ornithology, I analyzed birdsong recordings to understand how vocal learning shapes evolution and diversification, and how complexity in female vs. male songs has evolved. I also continued to build on my population genetics background as a post-baccalaureate intern in Dr. Kelly Zamudio’s lab, assisting lab members with data analyses and wet-lab work.