LABORATORY OF EVOLUTIONARY & POPULATION GENOMICS
Our research asks how genome evolution and genomic variation shape development, phenotype, and diversity within and among populations. We combine evolutionary and population genomics with molecular genetics to address these questions, using approaches that include genome and transcriptome analysis, RNA sequencing, comparative genomics and phylogenetics, genome assembly, qPCR, and histology.
Our major current research program focuses on gonad development and sex differentiation in sea lamprey, an ancient vertebrate with an unusual genome biology. We are investigating the genes and genomic mechanisms underlying gonadal differentiation, with particular interest in the role of germline-restricted chromosomes and programmed genome rearrangement. We use RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and other NGS approaches combined with comparative genomic approaches to discover candidate genes and pathways, and qPCR and histological approaches to examine their expression and function across development. This work provides insight into the evolution of vertebrate reproductive systems and the HPG axis while contributing to efforts to develop new approaches for controlling invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.
We also use population and evolutionary genomics to investigate genetic variation within and among natural populations. Current projects include population genomics of Lake Whitefish and collaborative work on little brown bats, alongside continuing interests in human gene evolution and genetic epidemiology.
A newer direction in the lab examines interactions between the gut microbiome and host physiology, including the effects of captivity and aquaculture on the sea lamprey microbiome and the relationships among diet, gut microbial communities, and intestinal inflammation.
These projects build on our longstanding work in gene and genome evolution, including the evolution and function of insulin-like peptides, and in plant evolutionary and conservation genetics, particularly the evolution of breeding systems and self-incompatibility. We continue to collaborate on research in several of these areas.
