Research

I am interested in the ecology and evolution of plant-animal-microbe interactions, ranging from parasitism to mutualisms.

Pollinators are essential for ecosystem health, but many species are experiencing population declines. My dissertation research focused on bees and their interactions with dietary host plants, pathogens (primarily Crithidia bombi), and gut bacteria. You can learn more about these projects here. I hope my research improves our understanding of factors that influence bee health as well as supports sustainable food production and the livelihoods of farmers.

My postdoc research at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will focus on the gut microbiome of yellow-rumped warblers and other songbirds to better understand the role of gut microbes in their digestion of waxy berries.

I am also a budding data scientist and excited about writing and sharing code for data processing, visualization, and analysis. Here is a list of data science resources that I find helpful.

Images of pollinators at top of page. From left to right: a queen bumble bee (Bombus sp.) foraging on Cordyalis caseana in the Colorado Rockies; a small carpenter bee (Ceratina sp.) on a strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) at The Bars Farm in Deerfield, Massachusetts; a worker bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) foraging and packing pollen from a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) at the UMass permaculture garden on campus; and a golden digger wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) departing from cockscomb (Celosia argentea) in Raleigh, North Carolina.