I am currently a postdoctoral researcher with Mike Boots in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley.
My research encompasses how host heterogeneity influences parasite adaptation to its host. I use a moth-virus system (Plodia interpunctella and its granulosis virus) to perform empirical work, including experimental evolution, to ask questions related to the evolution of virulence. Plodia is categorized as a "stored-product pest," known for its larvae's proficiency in damaging materials such as plastic that contain grains, leading to significant economic costs in agriculture. For many years, the USDA attempted to use Plodia's granulosis virus as a biocontrol, with mixed results. For our purposes, we know that since they are relatively human-adapted, and the USDA has uncovered a bit about their biology, they make a great model system for us.
So far we know that in this system, spatial structure of host populations (i.e., changing food viscosity) selects for less virulent parasites. In addition, we often see a trade-off between growth rate (mass accumulated per day until pupation) and resistance. We especially see this trade-off when hosts have limited nutrition, meaning they don't have the energy or resources to put all their (metaphorical) eggs in all of their baskets. The scientific dream is to make models that we can then test empirically, which we have done when it comes to cannibalism and spatial structure in this system.
I am currently funded on a UK-US Collaborative NSF Grant called "Heterogeneities, Diversity and the Evolution of Infectious Disease" by co-PIs Mike Boots (UC, Berkeley) and Andy White (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland)
The primary projects that I am working on include:
I also enjoy teaching and mentoring and have served as a mentor for 9 undergraduates at UC Berkeley, two of which had their own funding through undergraduate research programs, and two of which participated in Berkeley's URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program). I have also taught a winter-term course at Bard College called Citizen Science, a seminar course for first-year students to enhance their science literacy.
My hobbies (in addition to pinning specimens and starting my own mini collection), include trail running, photography (macro & telephoto), and embroidery/cross-stitch.
My research encompasses how host heterogeneity influences parasite adaptation to its host. I use a moth-virus system (Plodia interpunctella and its granulosis virus) to perform empirical work, including experimental evolution, to ask questions related to the evolution of virulence. Plodia is categorized as a "stored-product pest," known for its larvae's proficiency in damaging materials such as plastic that contain grains, leading to significant economic costs in agriculture. For many years, the USDA attempted to use Plodia's granulosis virus as a biocontrol, with mixed results. For our purposes, we know that since they are relatively human-adapted, and the USDA has uncovered a bit about their biology, they make a great model system for us.
So far we know that in this system, spatial structure of host populations (i.e., changing food viscosity) selects for less virulent parasites. In addition, we often see a trade-off between growth rate (mass accumulated per day until pupation) and resistance. We especially see this trade-off when hosts have limited nutrition, meaning they don't have the energy or resources to put all their (metaphorical) eggs in all of their baskets. The scientific dream is to make models that we can then test empirically, which we have done when it comes to cannibalism and spatial structure in this system.
I am currently funded on a UK-US Collaborative NSF Grant called "Heterogeneities, Diversity and the Evolution of Infectious Disease" by co-PIs Mike Boots (UC, Berkeley) and Andy White (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland)
The primary projects that I am working on include:
- Long-term (>100 generations) experimental evolution of Plodia hosts adapting to high-nutrient and low-nutrient food, which may change their ability to resist a parasite (results forthcoming!)
- Isogenic lines of Plodia (and one outbred stock population) differ in life history traits (growth rate, etc.) and also in resistance. Can we correlate these phenotypes with their genotypes? How many genetic ways can an organism evolve phenotypic resistance?
- Spatial structure evolution: I am repeating the Boots and Mealor 2007 (Science) paper on a much larger scale as preliminary work to understanding parasite adaptation in both a spatially and genetically heterogeneous host environment.
- I have a small grant from Hastings Natural History Reserve (UC, Berkeley) to survey Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies, with a focus on Pyraloids) at Hastings as a follow-up to Jerry Powell's extensive collections that are now housed in the Essig Museum at UC Berkeley.
I also enjoy teaching and mentoring and have served as a mentor for 9 undergraduates at UC Berkeley, two of which had their own funding through undergraduate research programs, and two of which participated in Berkeley's URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program). I have also taught a winter-term course at Bard College called Citizen Science, a seminar course for first-year students to enhance their science literacy.
My hobbies (in addition to pinning specimens and starting my own mini collection), include trail running, photography (macro & telephoto), and embroidery/cross-stitch.