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Research Interests:

I am  a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow with joint appointments in the Buckler Lab and the Graeme Hammer Lab (University of Queensland, Australia). My research focuses on incorporating genetic, molecular, and physiological data into quantitative genetic models. Such models should have greater accuracy for breeding, and provide valuable insights into the biological mechanisms underlying plant development and fitness. I also develop machine learning models with the goal of predicting phenotypes (molecular and physical) from DNA sequence and other types of data.

Prior to joining the Buckler lab, I worked on phylogenetic and comparative genomics projects surrounding the evolution of C4 photosynthesis, progressive heterosis, and the impacts of polyploidy on evolution. Before that, I performed classical and molecular breeding on perennial sorghum germplasm with applications to forage and biofuel improvement.

Education:

•    Ph.D. in Biology (emphasis Genetics and Genomics), University of Missouri
 

•    M.S. in Biology, Plant Breeding, Texas A&M University