Associate Professor

CV

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I am a biochemist, microbiologist, astrobiologist, and

conservationist. I grew up in a tiny Montana town and

went to college at Case Western Reserve University. I

began my graduate program at Arizona State University

with a heavy interest in astrobiology and the evolutionary

adaptations that allow life to inhabit any and all niches on

our planet. In the intervening years, this interest has

expanded to include other microbial environmental

adaptations, including responses to anthropogenic

damage such as industrial waste or agriculture.  As a

consummate space nerd, I look forward to extending

theories of astrobiology and microbial ecology to life we

find on or introduce to other bodies in our solar system.

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My research focus is the interaction between microbes

and the environment, particularly the ways in which

microbial community structure and metabolic potential

changes in response to perturbations.  Advances in DNA

sequencing technology in recent years have profoundly

changed the landscape of microbial ecology, and a major focus of my research is the development of tools and techniques to manage and analyze the increasingly complex environmental DNA datasets.  The ultimate goal of my work is to learn how microbes have evolved and adapted to their environment on Earth as well as potentially on other planets or moons in our solar system and beyond.

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I enjoy movies, music, books, games, and all sorts of mental distractions.  In particular, I have a worrying number of board games, which our lab regularly uses for game nights featuring food, drinks, and more than a bit of healthy bickering.