CV
You can download my full CV here.
A somewhat shortened version:
Current position
- 2025 – present: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia (UBC), Dr. Kayla C. King, Canada.
- Host-parasite evo-ecology: Coinfecting parasite interactions in a warming world
Education & academic positions
- 2023 – 2025: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford, Dr. K. C. King, UK.
- 2022 – 2023: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Central Florida (UCF), Dr. C. de Bekker, USA.
- 2017 – 2022: Doctor of Philosophy – Conservation & Integrative Biology, UCF, Orlando, USA.
- Dissertation under Dr. C. de Bekker: Multiomic hypotheses of behavioral manipulation by Ophiocordyceps (zombie ant fungus) infecting Camponotus (carpenter ant)
- 2013 – 2015: Master of Science – Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), Munich, Germany.
- Thesis under Dr. M. Götz & Dr. F. Calzolari: The neural stem cell response to challenge by injury and mitotic spindle dysregulation
- 2006 – 2009: Bachelor of Arts – Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley.
- Student research course publication: Host preference, detection, and dependence: the ectoparasitic gastropods Melanella acicula and Peasistilifer nitidula (Eulimidae) on holothurian hosts
Publications
See the Publications page or my Google Scholar
Awards
- 2023: Best Poster Award, European Conference on Fungal Genetics.
- 2019: Byrd-Dunn Graduate Student Research Award, SE Society of Parasitologists.
- 2019: Robert Lichtwardt Research Award, Mycological Society of America (MSA).
- 2019: Graduate Research Forum Poster Award, UCF.
- 2019: Fungal Conference Poster Award, Genetics Society of America (GSA).
- 2019: Student Mentor Travel Award, MSA.
- 2019: Best Publication of 2018, Myrmecological News.
- 2018: Biology Graduate Student Association Speaker Invitation Grant, UCF.
- 2018: Professional Development Mock Proposal, UCF.
- 2017: ORC Doctoral Fellowship, UCF.
Research presentations
- 2024: British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, Oral, Liverpool, UK.
- 2024: British Society for Parasitology Spring Meeting, Poster, Liverpool, UK.
- 2023: 16th European Conference on Fungal Genetics, Poster, Innsbruck, Austria. * Awarded
- 2022: 31st Fungal Genetics Meeting - GSA, Oral & Poster, Pacific Grove, USA.
- 2019: 87th Mycological Society of America Annual Meeting, Poster, Minneapolis, USA.
- 2019: Southeastern Society of Parasitologists Annual Meeting, Oral, Athens, USA. * Awarded
- 2019: Graduate Research Forum - UCF, Poster, Orlando, USA. * Awarded
- 2019: 30th Fungal Genetics Meeting - GSA, Poster, Pacific Grove, USA. * Awarded
Employment & research experiences
- 2024: XPRIZE Rainforest Finals, XPRIZE, K. Marriott, Brazil.
- 2017: Evolution of Gene Regulation Laboratory, LMU, Dr. N. Gompel, Germany.
- 2016 – 2017: Circadian Rhythm Laboratory, LMU, Dr. M. Merrow & A. Brachmann, Germany.
- 2015 – 2017: Epigenetics and Development Laboratory, LMU, Dr. A. Classen, Germany.
- 2012: Ground Tit Breeding Behavior Project, Wuhan Univ, Dr. X. Lu, China.
- 2012: Cuckoo-Host Behavior Project, Hainan Normal Univ., Dr. W. Liang, China.
- 2011 – 2012: Guppy Evolution Project, U.C. Riverside, Dr. D. Reznick, Trinidad and Tobago.
- 2011: CalCOFI Research Cruise, Scripps, NOAA, CA DFG, USA.
- 2010: Ant-Plant Symbiosis Project, Stanford Univ., Dr. E. Pringle, Costa Rica.
Leadership & academic service
- 2025 – present: King Lab EDI action plan, Vancouver, Canada.
- Lead on developing metrics collection and EDI data analysis for Dr. King’s CERC EDI intiative; Supporting traning: “Equity, Diverstiy & Inclusion in Teaching and Learning”
- 2018 – present: Manuscript peer review (12x).
- 2021: TAMBL award reviewer, Orlando,FL.
- 2020: Redesign of the UCF-COS Distinguished Speakers Seminar, Orlando, FL.
- Developed an interdisciplinary seminar series adopted and funded ($16,000/year) by UCF College of Sciences to host scholars underrepresented in our department faculties, in collaboration with a fellow UCF graduate student, ended in 2023 due to FL Senate Bill 266 defunding DEI initiatives
- 2019: Graduate School Q&A Panel, Orlando, FL.
- 2018 - 2019: BGSA Vice-president, Orlando, FL.
Teaching
- 2025: Biodiversity, Human and Planetary Health guest lecture at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- 2020: Insects and Human Society guest lecture at the University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.
- 2020: UCF Course Biology of Fungi, Orlando, FL.
- 2020: UCF Course Genomics, Orlando, FL.
- 2019: UCF Course Genetics Lab, Orlando, FL.
- 2019: Course revision UCF Genetics Lab, Orlando, FL.
- 2019: UCF Course Genetics Lab, Orlando, FL.
- 2018: UCF Course Genomics, Orlando, FL.
Mentorship
- 2025 – present: Experimental assay training, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.
- Training graduate students, postdocs, and technical staff on core experimental methods
- 2024 – present: PhD student, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.
- Genotypic variation and disease outcomes across sympatric and allopatric host-parasite interactions
- 2024 – present: PhD student, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.
- Density dependent transmission and virulence in C. elegans
- 2025: Undergraduate Directed Studies, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.
- Defining parasitism in Leucobacter
- 2025: Undergraduate Directed Studies, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.
- Siderophores and iron-mediated competition in Leucobacter
- 2020 – 2022: Bachelor’s Honors Thesis, UCF, Orlando, USA.
- Exploration “zombie ant fungus” enterotoxin in carpenter ant behavioral manipulation
Outreach
- 2022 – present: Expert commentary for science journalism.
- National Geographic, Newsweek, The New York Times, Global News
- 2023: Curiosity Stream video interview, Orlando,FL.
- Interview and field visit discussing parasitic behavioral manipulation
- 2023: Research in 60 Seconds video, Orlando,FL.
- UCF Communications STEM outreach video
- 2023: UCF Subject Matter Expert, Orlando,FL.
- UCF Communications & Marketing listed expert for outreach and commentary
- 2022: Otronicon Interactive Technology Expo, Orlando,FL.
- Multi-day outreach event in partnership with the Orlando Science Center
- 2021, 2020: Seminole County Science Fair, Sanford, FL.
- Judging student science projects
- 2020: Interview on Naturistic, Orlando, FL.
- Natural history short film series
- 2018: BIOTEC Instructor, Orlando, FL.
- Project-based science camp for high-school students
