Research
Genome evolution
Through the lens of comparative genomics, I investigate various facets of genome evolution. This includes analyzing the repetitive regions within genomes, tracing the acquisition of genes through horizontal gene transfer events, and examining the evolution of gene families through processes such as gene duplication and loss. By employing advanced genomic tools and methodologies, I aim to understand the mechanisms underlying the evolutionary dynamics of genomes, shedding light on the processes that shape genetic diversity and adaptation in organisms.
Chromosome number evolution
Genome structure, at a fundamental level, can be described by the division of the genome into a discrete number of chromosomes and further divided into autosomes and sex chromosomes. An array of mechanisms or selection pressures can lead to changes in both of these characteristics of genomes. Meiotic drive, segregation mechanisms, sexual antagonism, epistasis, benefits of higher or lower recombination, and drift have all been invoked to explain changes in the number of chromosomes and the proportion of the genome that is sex linked through sex chromosomes. Despite over a century of work, this level of genome organization has been resistant to broad generalizations that can explain the striking variation we observe among species. I will use large comparative phylogenetic approaches to determine the degree to which rates of chromosome number and sex chromosome system evolution vary among orders of insects. I will also use these approaches to infer whether mutations that have led to divergence in chromosome number are deleterious, neutral, or beneficial.
Population genetics of Chrysina gloriosa
As climate changes many species develop discontinuous distributions. When a species is separated into many isolated demes the risk of local extinction increases. Chrysina gloriosa is a jewel scarab restricted to high elevations in west Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona where it feeds on several species of trees in the Juniperus genus. This beetle is highly sought after by collectors and is one of the most charismatic insects in North America. Despite this there is currently no population genetic data that would allow for estimates of the health or resiliency of populations. Using population genomic data, I will determine the degree of gene flow among populations of the scarab jewel beetle Chrysina gloriosa across the southwestern United States and determine the landscape characteristics that best predict isolation of demes.
Education and Experience
Posdoctoral resercher (2022 - present)
The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
Advised by: Dr Duane McKenna
PhD in Biology (2017 - 2022)
Texas A and M University, College Station, TX, USA
Doctoral dissertation: Broad-scale structural evolution in invertebrate genomes and the population genomics of jewel scarabs in the southwestern US.
Advised by: Dr Heath Blackmon
BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (2011 - 2015)
University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Thesis title: Phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries of a clade of diminutive shrub frogs (Rhacophoridae: Pseudophilautus).
Advised by: Dr Madhava Meegaskumbura
