PhD Candidate Education Education: University of California at Davis B.S. Evolution, Ecology, & Biodiversity 2017 Research Research Areas: Developmental Biology Evolutionary Genetics Research Interests: Vertebrate sex determination is a critical biological process controlled by a variety of genetic mechanisms including physical differences in sex chromosomes and gene dosage or expression. While much is known about mammalian sex determination, our understanding of the evolutionary forces controlling sex determination in reptile groups is limited. For my graduate work, I will use genetic and genomic approaches to identify the sex determination mechanism of the brown anole lizard, and I will use this knowledge to clarify whether similar mechanisms operate in other related reptiles. Labs (please indicate whose lab you are a member of): Douglas Menke Grants: UGA Interdisciplinary and Innovative Research Grant 2020 NIH T32 Genetics Training Grant Fellow 2020 NSF GRFP 2020 ARCS Scholar Award 2021 UGA Dean's Award 2023 Selected Publications Selected Publications: Meany, M. K., Conner, W. R., Richter, S. V., Bailey, J. A., Turelli, M., & Cooper, B. S. (2019). Loss of cytoplasmic incompatibility and minimal fecundity effects explain relatively low Wolbachia frequencies in Drosophila mauritiana. Evolution, 73(6), 1278-1295.
