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I'm thrilled to announce that I've started a new position as Biology Expert with Mercor Intelligence, training and reviewing LLMs on complex problem sets in the biological sciences. Since I began work on my MSc in 2013 at the University of New Orleans, my focus has been on conducting and publishing novel science. That goal was kicked into high gear when I started my PhD at Auburn University in 2017, which then culminated in my work with NSF as a postdoctoral scholar from 2021-2023. Although I'm no longer driven by the academic system, my love of biology and science remains intact. In recent years, my focus has shifted to an even greater interest in scientific writing as a primary means of research (e.g., synthetic literature review, philosophy of science), as opposed to lab work and hands-on experiments. As such, I've made the move to industry as an independent contractor, where my passion for scientific writing can thrive in a new way through work with artificial intelligence. I look forward to this new journey, and I can't wait to see where this road will lead next.
My new research on "The mitonuclear compatibility species concept, intrinsic essentialism, and natural kinds" with Elay Shech is available now in Philosophy of Science. We introduce, develop, and appraise the mitonuclear compatibility species concept (MCSC), identifying advantages and limitations with respect to alternative species concepts. While the consensus amongst most philosophers of biology is that (kind) essentialism about species is mistaken, and that species at most have relational essences, we appeal to the MCSC to defend thoroughgoing intrinsic essentialism. Namely, the doctrine that species have fully intrinsic essences and, thus, are natural kinds (of sorts), while allowing that species aren’t categorically distinct.
My new essay on "Some considerations of measuring temperature sensitivity in thermal ecology" is out under open access in L&O Letters. I cover why thermal ecologists have begun moving away from Q10 values and toward more accurate means of measuring the temperature sensitivity of biological rates.  My literature review is out in AJP. We review how density (amount per volume) and morphology of the inner mitochondrial membrane influence mitochondrial performance.
Check out our new manuscript published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface: "A combination of red structural and pigmentary coloration in the eyespot of a copepod." We outline the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of red color in T. californicus copepod eyespots, including TEM of the structure that influences the red coloration.
I'm thrilled to announce that I have been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship in ocean sciences from the National Science Foundation. The fellowship, entitled "Effects of increasing temperature and ultraviolet radiation on copepod mitochondria along a latitudinal gradient," will begin Dec 1, 2021. I will remain at Auburn University while collaborating with Dr. Felipe Barreto at Oregon State University to study mitochondrial behavior, morphology, and function in natural populations of Tigriopus californicus copepods in CA, OR, and WA.  My new philosophy of science paper with Dr. Elay Shech is out in Biology and Philosophy. We outline the "Roles of mitonuclear ecology and sex in conceptualizing evolutionary fitness," with discussions of Mother's Curse, trait fitness, and much more.
I'm honored to receive the Dean's Research Award from the College of Science and Mathematics here at Auburn. I'm lucky enough to have the support and collaboration of excellent colleagues, both within and outside our department.  I have been awarded best student presentation by the American Microscopical Society for my talk "Modeling mitochondrial behavior and morphology from TEM micrographs of copepod myocytes following ultraviolet irradiation" at the 2020 annual SICB conference in Austin, TX.  I am honored to have received the Kenneth Ottis Distinguished Graduate Fellowship from the Department of Biological Sciences here at Auburn University. Special thanks to my advisors who took the time and effort to nominate me for this award.
Our review on how variation in whole-animal performance can be explained through understanding mitochondrial behavior and morphology is out in Biological Reviews. We outline how mitochondrial behavior and structure are predicted to change under increasing energetic demand to support growth, self-maintenance, and reproduction.  Our new research article is out in Ecology and Evolution. We explore how UV irradiation can increase reproductive performance, along with its effects on other performance correlates, in Tigriopus californicus copepods.
I have been awarded a graduate student research fellowship from the American Microscopical Society for the summer of 2019. I will be investigating the role of moderate UV irradiation in remodeling mitochondrial behavior and morphology in Tigriopus californicus copepods.
Our new meta-analysis is out in L&O Letters. We develop a new method for characterizing the relationship between respiration rates and increasing water temperature across the copepod literature spanning 78 years of research.
I have been awarded the Auburn University CMB Peaks of Excellence Research Fellowship for the summer of 2018. I will be examining the effects of UV radiation on life history variation in Tigriopus californicus copepods, among other projects including the effects of mating on ROS production and oxidative damage.
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