B.S., Majors: Biology, Communication University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point May 1997

Supervisors:

Mark Westneat (fishes)

Current Research:

For Mark Westneat, I collect and help analyze sequences of wrasses (often brightly-colored, predatory marine fishes). My part of the project uses two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene. This data can then be used in combination with morphological characters to help resolve phylogenetic relationships.

Research Interests:

I am interested in population studies, models, and conservation genetics, particularly of Malagasy mammals.

Aside from work at the Field Museum, I also volunteer in Dr. Mary Ashley’s lab at UIC. There, PhD candidate Ken Jones and I work with crane populations. My current project uses microsatellite markers to assess variation in all 15 species of cranes (~10 microsatellite markers for each of 75 individuals thus far). We are also using telemetry and genetic data together to look at Siberian crane distribution and assess the current understanding of these subpopulations.

I also collect and analyze sequences of moths for Paul Goldstein (Apameini, small to medium-sized brown moths) to construct a region of COII and wingless genes. The moth sequence data is being used with morphological data to examine evolution of host plant use.