About me: I am interested in extreme mammalian adaptations for insights into organismal features that might become informative targets for repairing and protecting human health. I received my PhD in Harvard's Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program in the lab of Dr. Arhat Abzhanov and Dr. Clifford Tabin.  I am currently performing research at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research as a Hanna Gray fellow. I am supported by the HHMI, BWF, and NSF.

Research Themes: My research focuses on understanding the origins of adaptations that enhance life—from their single-cell embryonic beginnings to the cultural stories that shape our understanding of these traits. My long-term aim is to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptations of extraordinary mammals.

Research Projects: My research is focused on metabolic physiology and resilience through the lens of eco-evo-devo. To investigate how metabolic systems remain flexible and responsive to environmental change, I use bats as a model system. Nectar-feeding bats, in particular, experience high dietary sugar exposure and chronic hyperglycemia yet maintain metabolic health. Many of these species also occupy cave environments, where fluctuating resources and ecological constraints further shape metabolic demands. Together, these conditions provide a natural system to uncover the mechanisms of metabolic resilience.

Research Impact: By identifying how metabolism remains stable under conditions that typically lead to dysfunction in other mammals, my work aims to reveal new biological principles of metabolic regulation that can inform strategies to restore metabolic balance in human disease, including hyperglycemia associated with diabetes. These insights provide a framework for preserving metabolic flexibility as a means to prevent age-related decline in physiological function.