Postdoctoral research scientist
Grainger Bioinformatics Center
University of Chicago & Field Museum
(she/her)
PhD, Wildlife Ecology
MS, Disease Ecology
BS, Zoology
ecruhs@uchicago.edu
eruhs@fieldmuseum.org
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 understanding the ecological drivers of viral seropositivity in bats in Madagascar and using bioinformatics approaches towards viral surveillance in bats.
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.
