I am interested in evolutionary conflict that operates across biological scales. My research focuses on the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius. Though M. plutonius is often asymptomatic in honey bee guts, an unknown trigger causes European foulbrood disease. Unfortunately, outbreaks of European foulbrood have become increasingly frequent and severe in the pacific northwest, stressing Oregon agriculture. We collaborate with several labs at OSU and other universities to connect genetic variation within M. plutonius to virulence, transmission dynamics, and disease severity in infected colonies. My goal is to understand how individual genetic variants fit in with the demands of other agents (individual bees, the overall colony, commensal bacteria, transposable elements, etc.), providing a holistic picture of pollinator health and opening new avenues to disease mitigation.

Education

Ph.D., UC Davis, Integrative Genetics and Genomics

B.A., Willamette University