Projects

Benefit or Burden? Behavior, ecology, and evolutionary dynamics of pathogen infection in ticks

This research will generate an integrative transmission and evolutionary model to understand the role of human pathogen transmission in ticks. 

Fish-parasite biodiversity in the Chihuahuan Desert 

How do human habitat alterations and fish communities shape parasite infection in semi-arid rivers?  Applications for the conservation of threatened and endangered fish. 

Parasite transmission ecology and evolution in riverine networks

How do riverscape processes alter parasite transmission and metapopulation dynamics? 

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Parasite virulence evolution and host social behavior

Do more social hosts select for more virulent parasites? 

Project in collaboration with Jason Walsman and Jess Stephenson

Parasite non-selective evolution and host social behavior

How does host social behavior shape parasite gene-flow, non-random mating and genetic drift? 

Multi-scale interactions between host diversity and parasite life history 

How does host diversity interact with parasite life history to shape the distribution of parasite diversity at fine and landscape scales?

Post-delisting monitoring of the Concho water snake

How has habitat alteration and habitat loss impacted the snake with one of the smallest ranges in the US?