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PhD Candidate @ amoeba.msstate.edu

My research focuses on life at the micro-level, with the hope to find stories that excite and inspire people of all walks of life.

Most described organisms have a name and a picture, yet remain unexplored biologically. With millions of species out there, this isn’t surprising. The majority of species, ~microbes~ , are so small they go unnoticed in daily life. You would not see them on a walk like you would a bird or a flower. To observe them, you’d need a microscope. This inconvience becomes an advantage for young biologists if we take the 'look-where-no-one-else-is-looking' approach to scientific discovery. This approach is one way we can enhance our knowledge and facilitate more discoveries in biology. Especially if we branch out and investigate organisms that have yet to enter the experimental arena. Non-model organisms.

I study microbial eukaryotes (protists) for many reasons. Firstly, they represent a vast and evolutionarily intruiging group of life. Secondly, they are ignored by most biologists. Yet, the more we investigate them, the more we uncover exceptions to the standard models of biology taught in classrooms. With protist research, there are still basic discoveries, from new species to supergroups, and unique biological phenomena such as new cell behaviors, symbioses, and unusual genetics. They offer immense potential for both discovery-based and experimental work. My research aims to explore the emergent behaviors and cell biology of non-model protists. Modern cells experience a lot, and therefore have evolved great capacity to express a variety of behaviors. However, what they 'choose' to express depends on context and what (or who) they are interfacing with in the enviromnent. It isn't novel to say that laboratory conditions can create biases. Yet it is important to note that the majority of protists have not been observed in the contexts and interfaces they may encounter in nature. It is my life goal to investigate such scenarios through what I think is a burgeoning movement in biology -- microbial ethology.

Viewing the micro-world is eye opening for many people — both young and old. A central mission in my life is to collect, visualize, and share stories from the micro-level to ignite more curiosity about the natural world. I hope to show throughout my work that protists are charismatic systems for storytelling (education) and story-chasing (research).

Current projects

Above the rest: amoebae can stand


Protists, or microbial eukaryotes, play vital roles in various habitats, including aquatic and terrestrial environments as well as animal microbiomes. Their diverse range of relationships includes parasitic and commensal interactions, as well as free-living roles in driving nutrient cycles and stabilizing the biosphere. As the most understudied yet phylogenetically diverse group of eukaryotic life, protists offer a wealth of opportunities to uncover novel biological processes, redefine fundamental aspects of cell biology, and address intriguing evolutionary questions.


[Previous Research]