I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Washington pursuing a Ph.D. in biology.

I am broadly interested in studying how coevolution, or reciprocal evolutionary change between interacting species, shapes the ecological dynamics of communities and maintains biodiversity. Most species interact with a complex network of other species and continually respond to selection pressures placed on one another. These interactions often vary across landscapes in a geographic mosaic and lead to a variety of outcomes spanning mutually beneficial mutualisms to antagonisms that result in the continual escalation of defensive strategies.

I am particularly interested in studying the evolutionary ecology of plant-fungal interactions. Interactions between fungal symbionts and their plant hosts are ubiquitous and potentially powerful evolutionary forces that can influence the ecological dynamics, composition, and structure of natural plant communities across local and broad geographic scales. For my dissertation research, I'm studying a group of closely related plant species in the genus Capsicum (chili peppers) and their fruit-associated fungal pathogens (Fusarium species). This is a particularly good system for the study of coevolution and local adaptation – plants and fungi show strong, mutually dependent interactions that vary across landscapes at multiple scales. Chili peppers exert selective pressures on fungal pathogens through their production of capsaicinoids, the antimicrobial chemicals that are responsible for the chili's fiery taste and fungal pathogens place selective pressures on chilies by colonizing fruits and reducing the germination of seeds. The strength of these reciprocal selective pressures varies across the landscape and sets up the potential for local coadaptation and a coevolutionary arms race.

In my research, I primarily work with fungal strains isolated from field-collected chili fruits and use a combination of lab and greenhouse approaches to address the following questions:

Do Fusarium isolates show evidence of local adaptation to capsaicinoid levels present in the natal populations of their plant hosts?

Is there evidence of metabolic or biochemical tradeoffs in Fusarium associated with increased tolerance to capsaicin?

Do Fusarium isolates show evidence of population structure within and across Capsicum species? Is there evidence of population structure across pungent and non-pungent fruits types?