Anyone who aspires to be a scientist should be able to pursue that goal. Students and postdocs from all backgrounds have made great contributions to both the spirit and research of our lab. We try to provide a safe space for all people regardless of skin color, gender, sexual orientation, or place of birth. Diverse perspectives lead to better science.

The goal of our research is to identify the ecological and genomic factors driving the evolution and diversification of diatoms. We address our research questions using a blend of phylogenetic, experimental, and comparative genomic approaches. Our research takes us out in the field to make collections from water bodies all over the world. The diatoms that come from these collections are the starting point for most projects. See our recent publications for examples of past and current research.

The Genomic Basis of Microbial Adaptation to New and Changing Environments

Although evolutionary biology is a historical science, it also provides a powerful means of looking forward—offering predictions on questions ranging from the spread of human disease to adaptation of species to climate change. Increased atmospheric carbon and global warming are having profound impacts on the world's oceans, including freshening of large parts of the ocean. Although these changes are predicted to have important impacts on the phytoplankton communities in these areas, relatively little data are available to predict how phytoplankton—which produce 40% of the earth's oxygen and form the base of marine food webs—will respond. We are using population genomics and experimental transcriptomics to understand how diatoms have recently adapted to low-salinity habitats, providing insights into how phytoplankton will adjust to a changing ocean.