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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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