Research Interests

I am broadly interested in evolutionary processes that drive the origins and maintenance of biological diversity, and how these processes shape patterns of genetic variation across the genome. I am also particularly interested in how and why specific genomic regions play important roles in speciation (e.g., sex chromosomes). Related to this, my work often considers the origins, evolution, and regulation of sex chromosomes. I also use population and functional genomics to study the genetic basis of adaptive traits and to understand how selection and gene flow shape adaptation in nature. Together, my research combines empirical genomic data with computational, theoretical, and field-based components to understand adaptation and speciation in non-traditional model taxa, especially snakes and birds.