Background

Biography

My interest in biology in largely rooted in my childhood in Guyana and the West Indies. These experiences gave me a great appreciation for the incredible levels and patterns of variation found in nature and ultimately motivated my desire to study the forces that shape and create them.

Education

   • PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Irvine, 2018.
   • B.S., Biological Sciences, University of Florida, 2011.

Research

I am broadly interested in the genetics of adaptation and complex traits. Much of my lab's work focuses on using fruit fly experimental evolution and computational approaches to address fundamental questions in quantitative genetics and evolutionary biology. In my lab, we are especially interested in using fruit flies to study the genetic and physiological basis of longevity differences between individuals, and performing experiments to explore what factors determine the ability of populations to adapt and persist in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Teaching

My teaching is built around high levels of student engagement and giving students opportunities to think beyond what is in their textbooks. This often means engaging with primary literature, and grappling questions at the forefront of modern biology.

Courses Taught

   • Bi445 / Ib545 – Evolution (including Honors)
   • Ib511 – Integrative Biology Graduate Student Orientation