Overview
I study how phenotypic traits and trait evolution determine predator-prey interactions and, through these, the structure and dynamics of complex networks of interacting species like food webs. I'm also interested in how these effects are mediated by the spatial structure of interacting species and changes in environmental conditions. To do so, I use a combination of mathematical models and computational methods, as well as empirical data from laboratory experiments and public data across systems and taxa.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Assistant Professor of Biology
·
2018 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Harnessing ecological theory to enhance ecosystem restoration.
Journal Article Current biology : CB · May 2024 Ecosystem restoration can increase the health and resilience of nature and humanity. As a result, the international community is championing habitat restoration as a primary solution to address the dual climate and biodiversity crises. Yet most ecosystem r ... Full text CiteTemperature and CO2 interactively drive shifts in the compositional and functional structure of peatland protist communities.
Journal Article Global change biology · March 2024 Microbes affect the global carbon cycle that influences climate change and are in turn influenced by environmental change. Here, we use data from a long-term whole-ecosystem warming experiment at a boreal peatland to answer how temperature and CO2 Full text CitePredator mass mortality events restructure food webs through trophic decoupling.
Journal Article Nature · February 2024 Predators have a key role in structuring ecosystems1-4. However, predator loss is accelerating globally4-6, and predator mass-mortality events7 (MMEs)-rapid large-scale die-offs-are now emblematic of the Anthropocene epoch< ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
CAREER: Quantifying Genetic and Ecological Constraints on the Evolution of Thermal Performance Curves
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2029Genetic and Ecological Determinants of Protist Thermal Performance Curves
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Simons Foundation · 2023 - 2026From viruses to protists: temperature response of the neglected components of microbial controls on peatland nutrient cycling
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2019 - 2025View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Nebraska, Lincoln ·
2016
Ph.D.