Research

My research interests center on understanding mechanisms of phenotypic evolution in natural populations. I am particularly interested in investigating how interactions between ecological forces and genetic mechanisms lead to evolutionary change. My approach to these broad questions is necessarily integrative, and utilizes field ecology, quantitative and population genetics, and molecular biology.

I have chosen to focus on container-breeding mosquitoes as a model because these mosquitoes represent highly tractable experimental systems. For example, carefully controlled and replicated experiments can be performed on groups of aquatic mosquito larvae reared in their native environment. Some of my favorite container habitats include pitcher plants, tree holes, and old used tires.

Mosquitoes are also easy to rear in the laboratory, and have fast generation times. Furthermore, a large amount of genomic information is currently available for mosquitoes. The entire genome of the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti have been sequenced, and the Drosophila melanogaster genome also provides useful comparative genomics information.

My lab is currently investigating the evolutionary dynamics of an invasive and medically important mosquito in North America. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, invaded the United States in 1985, and has since spread to the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, and as far north as New Jersey (a range of approximately 15 degrees of latitude).

Current projects include:

• Quantitative genetics experiments examining processes of life-  history differentiation among populations of Ae. albopcitus across its range in North America.
• In conjunction with the quantitative genetics work, molecular markers are being examined to investigate the interplay of natural selection and gene flow in facilitating or constraining adaptation across the climatic gradient of eastern North America.
• Molecular approaches are being utilized in order to identify genes underlying the adaptive divergence of populations of Ae. albopictus in North America.

I also have a long-standing interest in conservation biology, and much of my work on evolutionary ecology addresses issues which are pertinent to the conservation of biological diversity. Some of this work involves meta-analysis and laboratory or field experiments utilizing mosquitoes as a model system (e.g. refs  #3, 7, 9, 10, 12 & 14 on publications page) and some involves demographic computer simulations (e.g. # 11 & 15 on publications page).