Research

My current postdoctoral research focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic stressors such as light and sound pollution on bat community composition in urban areas across California. Specifically, using unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones) with onboard sensors and acoustic microphones, I plan to survey bat populations across urban Los Angeles to understand 1) how light and sound pollution vary with altitude, 2) how bat communities respond to these 3-dimensional pollution gradients in real time, and 3) if functional traits of individual bat species explain their relationship to light and sound pollution at different altitudinal strata.

Updates: Stay tuned for updates from my upcoming field season! 

California quail (Callipepla californica) are an emblamatic bird of Southern California ecosystems. Despite being historically abundant throughout the state, overhunting and other enigmatic threats have lead to declines in many parts of the distributional range of California quail. To date, no genomic datasets exist for this species which constrains the ability of land managers to understand the causes of quail declines and direct conservation planning efforts. This study uses whole genome re-sequencing data from 61 individual quail to understand how the largest roadways in Southern California -- the US101 and I405 freeways -- impact gene flow and genetic health in these birds. The findings from this project can be used to inform conservation actions for similar ground-dwelling bird species and will  serve as baseline data for the  highly anticipated Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

Updates: The manuscript summarizing our findings is anticipated for summer 2025!

Yuma bats (Myotis yumanensis) are a common and widely distributed species of vespertilionid bat, ranging from southern Alaska to southern Mexico. Yuma bats are one of twelve species of bats in North America that are susceptible to White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal pathogen responsible for large declines in bats since 2006. In 2024, the fungal pathogen causing WNS was detected on Yuma bats in several California counties, indicating that conservation managers may need to take actions to prevent WNS-related declines in the near future. Therefore, we generated a highly contiguous de novo genome assembly for the species and conducted a landscape genomic study using whole genome re-sequencing data from 115 Yuma bats from across their distributional range. The goals of this project were to evaluate range-wide genetic health, determine continent-scale connectivity and gene flow, estimate fluctuations in historical gene flow, and establish genomically-informed conservation management units.

Updates: Our reference-quality genome assembly is already available (see Publications). The manuscript summarizing our landscape genomics findings is anticipated for fall 2025!

California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) were once abundant throughout Southern California streams but have declined dramatically due to a variety of factors, resulting in several small and isolated populations along the southern margin of their range. Recently, the National Park Service of the Santa Monica Mountains has been managing frog populations through a reintroduction program. Due in part to their exceptionally large genome size (a whopping 10 billion basepairs!), no modern genomic evaluations have investigated genomic health of the single source population for these reintroductions. Therefore, to help determine the most effective reintroduction strategies for these frogs, we generated a de novo reference genome and conducted a population genomic analysis using whole genome sequencing data for this source population as well as several nearby frog populations. The goals of this project were to determine levels of genomic diversity and inbreeding, as well as the accumulation of putatively deleterious variation across the genome.

Updates: Data analysis for this project is ongoing through collaborations with the UCLA Lohmueller Lab. Please continue to check back for updates! 

Louisiana red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were introduced into the Southern California in the 1960s as a bait fish.  Today, they are common throughout the streams of the Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, CA. Invasive crayfish presence is associated with declines of native lotic biodiversity due to their highly aggressive and predatory behavior.  Crayfish burrowing activity is also associated with decreased water quality and stream stability, further emphasizing their impacts to local stream ecosystems. In order to control this problematic species, I've worked on collaborative research to optimize crayfish trapping and removal. 

Updates: This project resulted in two publications in Management of Biological Invasions and Freshwater Science (see Publications).