Conservation and landscape genetics of harvested and at-risk species

Research investigates microevolutionary processes like mating, dispersal, gene flow, spatial genetic structure and the impacts of processes like habitat fragmentation, and landscape and environmental change. Projects combine techniques from molecular and landscape ecology including microsatellite and parentage analysis, GIS and spatial analysis. Current projects focus on Eastern box turtles, snowshoe hares, American black bears, woodland jumping mice, and Galapagos lava lizards.

Wildlife demography and spatial ecology

Research focuses on understanding movement ecology and habitat selection and estimating vital rates (e.g. age-specific survival) and other demographic parameters, including genetic effective population size. Projects use radio telemetry, mark-recapture, GIS and spatial and demographic analyses to investigate movement patterns, spatial structure and population demographics. Current projects focus on eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, spotted turtles, Blanding's turtles, wood turtles, and Galápagos lava lizards.

Dynamics of snake fungal disease and Ophidiomyces

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is an emerging disease, caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which is threatening wild snake species. Research in this area focuses on understanding the prevalence, ecology and transmission dynamics of snake fungal disease. Current research focuses on eastern massasauga rattlesnakes.