Evolutionary Novelties
I am excited by the genetic basis for the evolution of novelties and highly derived structures. During my undergraduate research at the Gallant Lab, I studied the evolution of the electric organ in electric fishes. These spectacular fishes have organs that use the flow of ions to produce electrical discharges, in either low or high voltages. In the Gallant Lab, I studied sodium ion channel genes expressed in electric organs. These fishes have co-opted genes normally expressed in muscle to produce their electric discharges!
In my PhD, I study the highly derived craniofacial skeletons in syngnathid fishes. These striking fishes have elongate snouts without teeth, and our lab has also identified key gene losses. I use single cell and other types of sequencing approaches to study the developmental gene networks active in craniofacial development. Keep an eye out for future publications detailing my findings!