Research themes

One strategy amphibians can employ to survive variable environments is developmental plasticity, such as accelerated metamorphosis to escape a drying pond. We hypothesize that this comes at a cost of limiting resources for immune function. My current research tests how developmental stress affects amphibian physiology, immunity, and disease susceptibility in two contexts: 1) exposure to road salt runoff and 2) simulated pond drying and future climate change.

How does an organism know whether to respond when weather changes? With information coded in genes, hormones, and prior experiences. I hypothesize that immune rhythms and life history phenology that depend on seasonal cues can regulate annual infection patterns. I study this phenomenon in two disease systems: 1) ranavirus infection and the developing immune system in larval frogs and 2) chytrid infection and skin defenses in adult frogs. With rapid climate change, the accuracy of seasonal cues such as timing and amplitude of temperature swings will be critical to responding appropriately.

Biology is studied on various scales from molecules to ecosystems, but how does change at one level scale up to another? We often study organisms in lab settings or in field observations, but research must connect scales to design transferable, effective conservation strategies. By integrating across disciplines in biology, we can test the concept that physiological processes affect population and community interactions, and even influence ecosystem functions. I seek to understand mechanisms of resilience to rapid ecological change that transcends biological scales.