Campus Directory

Pronouns she, her, her, hers, herself

Division Physical & Biological Sciences Division

Department/College/Unit Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department
Institute of Marine Sciences

Title Professor, Chair of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Affiliation Faculty

Other UCSC Campus Affiliation Environmental Studies Department

Faculty Type Regular Faculty

Web Site

Primary Office Location Long Marine Lab Ocean Health Building
Coastal Biology Building 265

Additional Location(s) Long Marine Lab 153

Office Hours By Appointment

Mail Stop CBB/EE Biology

Biography, Education and Training

I obtained my Bachelors degree from U.C. Berkeley and a Ph.D from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I was a postdoctoral researcher at U.C. Davis from 2006-2009.

Summary of Expertise

Comparative physiology
Functional morphology
Behavioral ecology, Animal Behavior, Ethology

Research Interests

My research seeks to understand morphological, physiological, and behavioral evolution. I have a special interest in studying the mechanisms guiding diversification in vertebrate clades whose members have evolved an elongate and limb-reduced (or complete loss) body plan such as snakes, anguilliform fishes, and other eel-like vertebrates. I am also interested in the evolution of morphological and behavioral innovations in organismal design.

Teaching Interests

Animal Physiology
Comparative Physiology & Functional Morphology
Biomechanics

Awards, Honors and Grants

UCSC Chancellor's Achievement Award for Diversity 2015

"The Carl Gans Award," in recognition of Carl Gans' scientific career and editorial contributions to animal morphology, biomechanics, and functional biology. This is an annual award presented by the Chair of the Division of Comparative Biomechanics of the Society for the Study of Integrative and Comparative Biology.