Biography
I am a biologist studying disease ecology, conservation, invasion biology and evolution. I am currently a Research Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University. I have a B.A. in Biology from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. I conduct my research on diverse taxa at multiple ecological scales, from the phylogenetics of bacterial pathogens to landscape-level patterns of bird abundance. My initial research included Hawaiian bird conservation and population ecology of introduced birds. My current work is on a variety of projects, including white-nose syndrome in bats, brucellosis in wildlife and livestock, castor beans, and avian cholera in waterfowl. My approaches use population genetics, phylogenetics, and direct ecological studies.