![]() Postdoctoral research scientist Grainger Bioinformatics Center University of Chicago & Field Museum (she/her) PhD, Wildlife Ecology MS, Disease Ecology BS, Zoology [email protected] [email protected] |
I am currently a postdoctoral research scientist at the Field Museum of Natural History in the Grainger Bioinformatics center and co-appointed with Dr. Cara Brook at the University of Chicago. I am working on (1) understanding the ecological drivers of viral seropositivity in bats in Madagascar and using bioinformatics approaches towards viral surveillance in bats and (2) investigating how chronic exposure to contaminants influences bald eagle health and gene expression.
Broadly, I am interested in ecoimmunology, ecophysiology, biological trade-offs, and pathogen serology/transmission dynamics.
Background
Prior to my upcoming position, I was a postdoc at the University of South Florida investigating the impacts of body mass on immune function and gene expression in birds and mammals. Previous to that, I was a postdoctoral contractor for USGS National Wildlife Center working with Dr. Erik Hofmeister to understand the broad impacts of climate change on Wildlife Health. In 2018, I had a short-term research fellowship with Drs. François Vézina and Oliver Love conducting field and lab-based research on various passerine species examining phenotypic mismatch, physiological responses in response to the acute environmental challenges and understanding the carryover effects of high-performing individuals during the winter and summer portions of the annual cycle.
I received my PhD in Wildlife Ecology in 2017 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Dr. William Karasov's laboratory. My research examined the immune function and physiology of wild birds and their response to variation in resource availability. To conduct this research, I worked with black-capped chickadees and boreal chickadees in the boreal forest near Québec city, Canada in collaboration with Dr. François Vézina.
I received my Masters of Science degree in Ecology at the University of Georgia in 2013 under the advisement of Drs. Sonia Altizer and Andrew Davis. For my Master's project, I examined the degree to which neotropical songbirds face resource trade-off between condition and immune defense during migration. Specifically, I investigated how lipid storage, stress, parasites and immune defenses interact during the migrations of several songbird species that pass through coastal Georgia each fall.
I completed my Bachelor's of Science in Zoology at Michigan State University in 2011. After working in the Avian Health and Disease Ecology lab under the advisement of Dr. Jennifer Owen, I realized how much I enjoy working with birds, and learning about immune function, disease dynamics and phenotypic flexibility.
Broadly, I am interested in ecoimmunology, ecophysiology, biological trade-offs, and pathogen serology/transmission dynamics.
Background
Prior to my upcoming position, I was a postdoc at the University of South Florida investigating the impacts of body mass on immune function and gene expression in birds and mammals. Previous to that, I was a postdoctoral contractor for USGS National Wildlife Center working with Dr. Erik Hofmeister to understand the broad impacts of climate change on Wildlife Health. In 2018, I had a short-term research fellowship with Drs. François Vézina and Oliver Love conducting field and lab-based research on various passerine species examining phenotypic mismatch, physiological responses in response to the acute environmental challenges and understanding the carryover effects of high-performing individuals during the winter and summer portions of the annual cycle.
I received my PhD in Wildlife Ecology in 2017 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Dr. William Karasov's laboratory. My research examined the immune function and physiology of wild birds and their response to variation in resource availability. To conduct this research, I worked with black-capped chickadees and boreal chickadees in the boreal forest near Québec city, Canada in collaboration with Dr. François Vézina.
I received my Masters of Science degree in Ecology at the University of Georgia in 2013 under the advisement of Drs. Sonia Altizer and Andrew Davis. For my Master's project, I examined the degree to which neotropical songbirds face resource trade-off between condition and immune defense during migration. Specifically, I investigated how lipid storage, stress, parasites and immune defenses interact during the migrations of several songbird species that pass through coastal Georgia each fall.
I completed my Bachelor's of Science in Zoology at Michigan State University in 2011. After working in the Avian Health and Disease Ecology lab under the advisement of Dr. Jennifer Owen, I realized how much I enjoy working with birds, and learning about immune function, disease dynamics and phenotypic flexibility.