Research
My research explores how genomes respond to ecological pressures and environmental change. From the organization of chromosomes to the expansion of gene families and the persistence of populations, genomes record both the constraints and opportunities that shape biodiversity. By integrating comparative genomics, chromosome evolution, and population genomics, I aim to uncover the mechanisms that generate and maintain genetic diversity, while connecting broad evolutionary patterns to the survival of individual species.
Genome evolution
I study the evolutionary forces that shape genomes across time and lineages. Using comparative genomics, I focus on repetitive sequences, horizontal gene transfer, and the expansion and contraction of gene families through duplication and loss. These features not only reveal the mechanisms driving genome evolution but also provide insight into how organisms adapt to their environments. My work combines large-scale phylogenetic approaches with detailed genomic analyses to uncover the processes that generate genetic diversity.
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.
Together, these projects bridge scales of biological organization, from single genes to whole populations, revealing how genome evolution both shapes and is shaped by ecological pressures and environmental change.
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&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
