For my doctoral work, I focused primarily on phylogenetics, specifically the inference of evolutionary relationships among species using genome-scale markers. I worked on ultraconserved elements (UCEs), using available genomes to investigate potential function(s) of UCEs, and analyzed how UCE loci inform phylogeny. I applied UCEs to elucidate the evolutionary switch between nocturnality and diurnality in the nightbirds, as we know that the diurnal Apodiformes are nested within the nocturnal or crepuscular Caprimulgiformes (this new clade is often referred to by the superorder name Strisores).
For my postdoc, I am located in the Retinal Development, Genetics and Therapy section of the Neurobiology Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory within the National Eye Institute. Here I am building upon work I began in my PhD to develop a molecular tool to enable researchers to efficiently and effectively study vision in any extant species of bird. With this tool, I am investigating the molecular basis of nocturnal vision across the avian tree of life, and ultimately hope to answer questions about the evolutionary advantages and the adaptive basis of a nocturnal lifestyle. I am also pursuing evolutionary research into the deeper origins of photoreceptors and their regulation.
For my postdoc, I am located in the Retinal Development, Genetics and Therapy section of the Neurobiology Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory within the National Eye Institute. Here I am building upon work I began in my PhD to develop a molecular tool to enable researchers to efficiently and effectively study vision in any extant species of bird. With this tool, I am investigating the molecular basis of nocturnal vision across the avian tree of life, and ultimately hope to answer questions about the evolutionary advantages and the adaptive basis of a nocturnal lifestyle. I am also pursuing evolutionary research into the deeper origins of photoreceptors and their regulation.
Research Interests and Current Projects
Improving the Avian Tree of Life
I am deeply interested in molecular phylogenetics, specifically the use of UCEs--a class of novel genome-scale phylogenetic markers--to resolve deep evolutionary divergences. To this end, I have collected a dataset of ~5,000 of these elements from 193 species representing the diversity of living birds. My research seeks to identify "best practices" for using UCEs in phylogenomics, by analyzing their characteristics from two empirical datasets--Hymenoptera (bees and ants) and Aves (birds). More about UCEs is available here.
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Evolution of Nocturnality in Birds
Using improved estimates of bird phylogeny based on UCEs, I seek to trace the evolutionary history of nocturnality on the avian tree of life. To do so, I focus on molecular adaptations present in the genes of the phototransduction cascade (PTC; pictured above). I was awarded an NSF DDIG to develop a custom enrichment probe set that efficiently captures all genes of the PTC from any extant species of bird. Complementing analyses of the molecular evolution of PTC genes, I am analyzing retinal transcriptomes of both nocturnal and diurnal species.
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Comparative Genomics of Vision
I am taking a comparative approach to analyzing the molecular basis of phototransduction and the evolution of photoreceptors. This work approach is important to understanding the regulation of photoreceptor function and development. I am sequencing visual tissue from across the tree of life to get a deeper look at the evolution of these genes and their regulation.
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