Research Interests

I am interested in using whole genome sequence data to study evolution, with particular emphasis on understanding patterns of deleterious variation, especially in small or inbred populations. New genomic sequencing technologies have opened the door for investigation of putatively deleterious alleles in virtually any organism. However, the influence of these mutations on individual phenotypes, and on population persistence, is still unclear. In my research, I seek to understand the dynamics governing deleterious mutations, as well as their phenotypic impacts, with the ultimate goal of making predictions about the fitness of individuals and populations from genomic data. Previously, I examined the complete genomes of Channel Island foxes and Isle Royale gray wolves to study the effects of small population size and inbreeding. I am currently investigating mutations predicted to knock out gene function in pedigreed captive colonies of non-human primates to discover links between genes and phenotypes.