We use the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum to study evolutionary biology. We are particularly interested in how genomes are shaped, both as a result of social interactions and due to interactions between hosts and bacterial symbionts.
Our current research projects include (1) investigating the transmission of bacterial endosymbionts between strains of D. discoideum during fruiting body formation and how this transfer affects the fitness of the amoeba hosts; (2) comparing the genomes of amoeba-associated Paraburkholderia with other close relatives; and (3) isolating and identifying Dictyostelids (and ultimately their symbionts) from Maine.
She is interested in the evolution of phenotypes and genomes that occurs when organisms adapt to changes in their social environments.
