I study genomes and the evolutionary processes that determine their composition and influence on traits. In particular I’m committed to learning how genomes translate to the panoply of traits across life, something we understand surprisingly poorly. How does phenotypic variation emerge from complex interactions among molecules and organisms, and at what levels is evolution repeatable? Specific research interests of mine include the genomic basis of novel traits such as male pregnancy in syngnathid fishes, the evolution of interactions between fish hosts and their microbiota, and the evolution of differences between the sexes.
I currently conduct this work as a Research Assistant Professor in the Data Science Department at the University of Oregon, where I also support graduate education in genomics and statistics.