I am studying diversification and adaptive variation in chameleons on the island of Madagascar using genetics and environmental modeling.

Specifically I want to (1) identify the initial reduction of gene flow within one species; (2) determine the barriers which are involved in this reduction; and (3) elucidate how selection acts upon the genome of that species by partially reducing gene flow.

I am currently establishing the phylogeography of the Chameleon species Furcifer oustaleti in addition to a description of population genetic structure. This includes analyses of gene flow and genetic variation, as well as the identification of genetically unique units.

I am also rigorously and statistically testing biogeographic hypotheses which might explain population distributions. To do so I am using ecological niche modeling and hypothesis testing based on coalescent theory.

Lastly, I am identifying genomic regions under selection in F. oustaleti. To do so, I am establishing a map of adaptive variation across the genome and isolating genes or regions thought to influence fitness and therefore be under selection.

2007   UCLA   B.S    Biology