Master's Research
Master's research focusing on the evolutionary relationship between howler monkeys and pinworms. I focused on the howler monkey species Alouatta belzebul (the red handed howler) and determined what Trypanoxyuris pinworms infected this species. Additionally, I used sequence data from 3 additional howler monkeys that already had pinworms identified and host specificity determined.
Dissertation Research: Bats
Part of my dissertation focuses on bats, their immunology, viral infection and how hybridization potentially is associated with all of these factors.
Dissertation Research: Rats
This project continues to explore the concept of hybridization as a mechanism in which hybrid individuals could have higher variation in certain immune genes which in turn would lower their susceptibility to parasites. This project specifically looks at potential hybridization in the Rattus genus between R. rattus and R. tanezumi residing in Los Angeles in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of LA.
