ABOUT ME
Ever since I was a child I have wanted to be a cetacean biologist, and molecular evolution is a field that has inspired me since my undergraduate years. As a PhD candidate in Belinda Chang's lab, I've developed keen interests in protein evolution and sensory biology, especially in regard to the visual system. My dissertation work investigates the evolution of cetacean visual pigments using interdisciplinary approaches. In particular, I'm interested in computational methods for detecting selection patterns in visual opsin gene sequences, reconstructing ancestral coding sequences, and resurrecting ancestral proteins in vitro. My general aim is to determine the molecular basis for adaptive evolution and loss of function in cetacean visual pigments.
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Protein Evolution
Expertise: Cetacean visual pigments
2012 - 2017
PhD. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Toronto
GPCR Structure and Function
Expertise: rhodopsin light-activation
Molecular Evolutionary Models
Expertise: Codon-based likelihood models
Cetacean Social Behaviour
Expertise: Social structure and network analysis
2009 - 2011
MSc. Environmental & Life Sciences
Trent University
2005 - 2009
BSc. Hon. Specialist in Biology
University of Toronto
My life was somewhat different during my MSc degree at Trent University, when I was more interested in cetacean social behaviour and working at sea. The focus of my research then was the relationship between social structure and conservation. My study systems were two Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) populations in Hong Kong and Taiwan, both of which are severely affected by human activities. The social network structures of these populations make them sensitive to human disturbances (habitat loss especially) in ways that have typically been under-appreciated in conservation and management settings. Despite my present leanings, I still contribute to research on these precarious and charismatic animals.
