NPG Chair
I am an evolutionary biologist interested in how developmental deviations impact the evolution and function of reproductive chemosensory signals. For my PhD at the University of Tulsa I studied how developmental truncations impact the evolution of male salamander pheromone expression and courtship glands. I became interested in chemosensation and how the brain processes olfactory signals, so as a postdoc in Matt Wachowiak’s lab, I investigate how circuits impact chemosensory signal transformation to ultimately understand how odors are encoded in the brain. Outside of the lab I love going camping, herping, hiking, and fishing with my partner. I also love cooking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with the numerous pets that we have!
NPG Secretary & Treasurer
As a classically trained physiologist with a keen interest in neuroscience, my research focuses on how intrinsic and extrinsic changes to neural circuits affect behavioral outputs. During my Ph.D. at the Medical College of Wisconsin, I investigated physiological, neurochemical, and transcriptomic changes in control of breathing networks during chronic hypercapnia. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher in the Wachowiak lab, I am working on two projects: exploring how top-down modulation shapes olfactory processing during odor-guided tasks, and understanding the circuits that generate sniffing behavior and their role in olfactory processing and sensation. Outside of the lab, I enjoy relaxing with a good show or book, trying new restaurants, and visiting the many National Parks around Salt Lake.
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