Researchers

I work across ecosystems, from plants to animals, and from the tropics to the Antarctic with a strong focus on viral evolution and dynamics, and viral metagenomics. My research uses a combination of traditional virology, microscopy (including transmission electron microscopy), molecular and cellular biology techniques in conjunction with modern techniques including next-generation sequencing, synthetic biology and bioinformatics.My research group study virus evolution and the process of disease emergences in ecosystems. Specifically we develop studies of plants and animal viruses that are present in as non-pathogenic in endemic reservoir species that may emerge as pathogens in naïve and introduced species. Within the Sonoran Desert we are interested in addressing questions of 1) agricultural viral pathogens infecting endemic Sonoran flora, 2) virus transmission chains between wild and domestic animals as a result of urbanization. We would like to interact with other scientists working the Sonoran desert and build new collaborative projects to address critical issues on pathogens associated with endemic fauna and flora.