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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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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.
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.
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.