Education

1994 - B.S., Cornell University, Biology
2002 - Ph.D., University of Alberta, Biology

My major interest is how an organism's form or functioning affects its interactions with other species. I am especially curious how some factors might lead to increased specialization, as specialization is a major generator of biodiversity.

My research background includes work in insect chemical ecology, especially host-finding behavior and pheromones. I currently work on nudibranchs---shell-less, often brightly colored marine snails that typically use some form of chemical defense. Many groups of sea slugs steal these chemicals from their prey, and I am broadly interested in how this effects which prey they find acceptable. Accordingly, my work has ranged from studies of potential chemical and physical defense to lab and field studies on prey use.