Currently, I am a lecturer at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland! I teach mostly introductory biology classes and labs, as well as biostatistics, parasitism, and a few others for fun. My research is centered around parasites and their ecology; whether that's how they impact their hosts' behavior, how ecological understanding can stop their spread, or how humans impact the parasitic communities even in remote ecosystems.
My postdoctoral research within the Wood Lab seeks to identify the impact of human disturbance on the community of parasites living within Pacific coral reef fishes.
I have always been passionate about aquatic ecosystems and the stress they face. I completed my PhD at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, with Dr. Ian Donohue and Prof. Celia Holland, where I focused on the role parasites play in the structure and functioning of ecosystems in a warming world. I used experiments both in the field and in the laboratory to figure out how temperature and parasitic infection influence their ecosystems. I completed the following projects: Parasites & temperature impact host physiology and anti-predator behaviour, Parasites & warming alter sediment reworking in ecosystem engineers, Handling time and food preferences are altered by temperature, but not parasitic infection, In situ estimation of the impact of elevated temperature, parasitism, and group size on shredding rates, & Corbiucla, an invasive clam in Ireland.
I have previously worked as a laboratory manager with the Voss Laboratory at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute where I worked on: mutli-factorial experiments on coral disease, oil exposure, dispersant use, and hypoxia ; the impact of freshwater discharge on the corals of St. Lucie Reef, FL; and habitat classification of the Flower Garden Banks.
I completed my M.Sc. in Environmental Science at University College Dublin, Ireland, where I worked in the
R Lab on the use of automated classification to identify plankton samples from the Tara Oceans global circumnavigation of the globe cruise.
I began my career at the University of Notre Dame where I worked with the Tank Laboratory on the ways in which agricultural ditch shapes impacts nitrogen retention in rivers and nitrogen removal to the atmosphere.
My postdoctoral research within the Wood Lab seeks to identify the impact of human disturbance on the community of parasites living within Pacific coral reef fishes.
I have always been passionate about aquatic ecosystems and the stress they face. I completed my PhD at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, with Dr. Ian Donohue and Prof. Celia Holland, where I focused on the role parasites play in the structure and functioning of ecosystems in a warming world. I used experiments both in the field and in the laboratory to figure out how temperature and parasitic infection influence their ecosystems. I completed the following projects: Parasites & temperature impact host physiology and anti-predator behaviour, Parasites & warming alter sediment reworking in ecosystem engineers, Handling time and food preferences are altered by temperature, but not parasitic infection, In situ estimation of the impact of elevated temperature, parasitism, and group size on shredding rates, & Corbiucla, an invasive clam in Ireland.
I have previously worked as a laboratory manager with the Voss Laboratory at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute where I worked on: mutli-factorial experiments on coral disease, oil exposure, dispersant use, and hypoxia ; the impact of freshwater discharge on the corals of St. Lucie Reef, FL; and habitat classification of the Flower Garden Banks.
I completed my M.Sc. in Environmental Science at University College Dublin, Ireland, where I worked in the
R Lab on the use of automated classification to identify plankton samples from the Tara Oceans global circumnavigation of the globe cruise.
I began my career at the University of Notre Dame where I worked with the Tank Laboratory on the ways in which agricultural ditch shapes impacts nitrogen retention in rivers and nitrogen removal to the atmosphere.