I am interested in questions related to the genetic basis of adaptation and the assembly of ecological communities, and exploring these questions as they relate to plant agriculture. Broad questions that interest me include: 

How do species adapt in the face of stressors, such as those due to climate change? How can we apply this knowledge to crop improvement?

What are the abiotic and biotic predictors of ecological community composition, including plant or soil microbial communities? Can we use this knowledge to predict how communities will react to perturbations?

How do we design optimal plant breeding programs? How do we best incorporate genomic selection into existing breeding programs?

I have a background in mathematical modeling in evolutionary biology, ecology, and plant breeding.  My prior research has covered diverse topics including host-parasite coevolution, the evolution of antimicrobial resistance, adaptation to environmental change, the role of epigenetics in evolution, species coexistence, and the use of genomic selection in forage plant (e.g., red clover) breeding programs.