Research Interests
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Ecological Epigenetics
I study the ecological and evolutionary importance of epigenetic variation. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression and function without alteration to DNA sequence. Some of these modifications have been shown to contribute to phenotypic variation in diverse taxa. Recent studies have detected changes in methylation patterns among populations from different environments and have demonstrated that some epigenetic characters are stably transmitted across generations. Thus, some epigenetic factors likely impact subsequent generations. As such, epigenetic variation may be important to ecology and evolution, and understanding its mechanistic basis will provide insights into individual and population processes at both ecological and evolutionary time scales.
Epigenetics and Organism-Environment Interaction
Epigenetic mechanisms also may be an important component of organism-environment interactions. Epigenetic modification of gene expression may enable organisms to adjust their phenotypes to quickly respond to a changing environment. Epigenetic modifications may vary in response to environmental stressors and even among individuals and populations. Further, molecular epigenetic modifications are active in the processes underlying the phenotypic plasticity of plants in response to different environments. Recent studies have indicated that the environment can induce variation in DNA methylation and that DNA methylation may provide an ecologically important source of variation among individuals.
Molecular Ecology and Population Genetics
I study the evolutionary and ecological factors that shape epigenomic and genomic variation among populations. I am particularly interested in 1) invasive species and species with active range expansions, 2) disturbed habitats and habitats with abrupt variation, and 3) conservation and management relevant questions. These scenarios potentially disrupt populations and precipitate a epigenetic or genetic response, which allows comparisons to be drawn among species with different autecologies to determine the biotic and abiotic factors underlying the observed differences.
Conservation and Management Genetics
I use molecular markers to address applied research questions in the conservation and management of natural resources. I have worked on a variety of taxa including fish, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and insects. Often these projects can address basic molecular ecology questions while being focused on species in need of conservation or of economic importance.
I study the ecological and evolutionary importance of epigenetic variation. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression and function without alteration to DNA sequence. Some of these modifications have been shown to contribute to phenotypic variation in diverse taxa. Recent studies have detected changes in methylation patterns among populations from different environments and have demonstrated that some epigenetic characters are stably transmitted across generations. Thus, some epigenetic factors likely impact subsequent generations. As such, epigenetic variation may be important to ecology and evolution, and understanding its mechanistic basis will provide insights into individual and population processes at both ecological and evolutionary time scales.
Epigenetics and Organism-Environment Interaction
Epigenetic mechanisms also may be an important component of organism-environment interactions. Epigenetic modification of gene expression may enable organisms to adjust their phenotypes to quickly respond to a changing environment. Epigenetic modifications may vary in response to environmental stressors and even among individuals and populations. Further, molecular epigenetic modifications are active in the processes underlying the phenotypic plasticity of plants in response to different environments. Recent studies have indicated that the environment can induce variation in DNA methylation and that DNA methylation may provide an ecologically important source of variation among individuals.
Molecular Ecology and Population Genetics
I study the evolutionary and ecological factors that shape epigenomic and genomic variation among populations. I am particularly interested in 1) invasive species and species with active range expansions, 2) disturbed habitats and habitats with abrupt variation, and 3) conservation and management relevant questions. These scenarios potentially disrupt populations and precipitate a epigenetic or genetic response, which allows comparisons to be drawn among species with different autecologies to determine the biotic and abiotic factors underlying the observed differences.
Conservation and Management Genetics
I use molecular markers to address applied research questions in the conservation and management of natural resources. I have worked on a variety of taxa including fish, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and insects. Often these projects can address basic molecular ecology questions while being focused on species in need of conservation or of economic importance.
Projects
House Sparrow Genetics - NSF Funded Project IMAGINE:Collaborative Research: Epigenetics and Range Expansion in the House Sparrow
Epigenomic variation of house sparrows
Next-Gen Sequencing of house sparrows
TLR-4 exon variation among introduced house sparrows
Bisulfite sequencing of promoters to link DNA methylation to changes in gene expression
Patterns of range expansion in house sparrows
Genetic and Epignetic analyses of the Bluetail Mole Skink - Funded Project Subcontract:Analysis for Status & Distribution of Florida Sand Skinks, Bluetail Mole Skinks & other at-Risk Species on Conservation Lands in Central Florida
Effect of Fire on Florida Scrub Herpetofauna
Florida Sand Skink
Florida Scrub Lizard
Six-lined Racerunner
Epigenomic variation of house sparrows
Next-Gen Sequencing of house sparrows
TLR-4 exon variation among introduced house sparrows
Bisulfite sequencing of promoters to link DNA methylation to changes in gene expression
Patterns of range expansion in house sparrows
Genetic and Epignetic analyses of the Bluetail Mole Skink - Funded Project Subcontract:Analysis for Status & Distribution of Florida Sand Skinks, Bluetail Mole Skinks & other at-Risk Species on Conservation Lands in Central Florida
Effect of Fire on Florida Scrub Herpetofauna
Florida Sand Skink
Florida Scrub Lizard
Six-lined Racerunner
