Research

I seek to understand how environmental conditions, phenotypes (observable traits), and genotypes are linked. Generally, my research aims to answer the following questions:

1. How do populations of species exist in areas with different environments? How do they respond when those environments change?

Individual populations of species inhabit vastly different environments. Humans, for example, live in low-lying areas like New Orleans, Dubai, or Amsterdam and in mountainous regions like Denver, Quito, and Lhasa. Living in these areas has different challenges, and people in these places respond differently. In some cases, people have become adapted to their environment (see this article on adaptation to high altitudes). In other cases, people “adjust”, without genetic changes. Adjusting without genetic change is generally called plasticity (one genotype produces multiple phenotypes). While it is great that we have begun to identify these things, there is still a long way to go in understanding when, why, and how they occur.

My research seeks to understand when, why, and how they occur using non-model organisms. Specifically, I focus on understanding when populations respond to local conditions through local adaptation vs plasticity and their underlying mechanisms and predicting when local adaptation will occur. My research has involved desert horned lizards, kangaroo rats, and, more recently, rattlesnakes.

2. What is the genetic architecture of traits and disorders? How are genotypes linked to phenotypes, and how do environmental conditions influence these links?

3. Can we use bioinformatics approaches to develop novel techniques and increase the efficiency of present software to address questions 1 and 2?