I am a microbiologist, trained in oceanography, who is interested in how microorganisms interact with and adapt to changes in their environment, whether seasonal or sudden. My research focuses on nitrogen-cycling and other archaea in coastal systems, the open ocean, and floodplains.
I became a scientist because I had incredible teachers in high school who pushed me to pursue my curiosity and from that I found a love for research and “unseen” microbial life in college. I began studying desert soil bacteria, became interested in taxonomy and phylogeny, and pursued graduate school to study marine microorganisms. My project involved characterizing a then-new group of marine archaea – the Thaumarchaeota (Phylum Crenarchaeota) – and I’ve been fascinated with them ever since. Now, as an Assistant Professor at UNCW, my lab continues to characterize these ammonia-oxidizing archaea in aquatic systems (rivers, coastal wetlands, and marine systems) and we have begun also exploring associations with invertebrate hosts and connections to other biogeochemical cycles.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BmkOLucAAAAJ&hl=en