Extreme-ly experienced
I’ve spent my time as a researcher studying ecosystems that represent extremes in the world of microbial ecology. My experience at Finch Therapeutics as part of a team developing live microbial therapeutics is on the cutting edge of biotechnology and microbiology applications and analysis in human health. The research projects from my undergraduate career represent literal extremes: I used multi-omic data to study microbial evolution in boiling hot, ultra-deep hydrothermal vents. This work described the dynamics that dictate how life arose and differentiated on our planet and how it may do the same on others. The fascinating microbiomes from the human gut to the deep ocean have developed my technical and scientific skillsets and fueled my drive to identify the ecological mechanisms that tie these ecosystems together.
Focused on mechanisms
I’m driven first and foremost by curiosity, and finding and defining the mechanisms that drive the biological phenomena I examine in my research has been the hallmark of my scientific interests since day one. From my experience linking computationally reconstructed tumor phylogenies to the biological process of oncogenesis to explaining variable selection among functionally distinct elements of archaeal pangenomes, I am always focused on finding an answer that defines an underlying ecological mechanism. My experiences across ecosystems have convinced me that ecology is the perfect field for me - rich with unanswered questions and at the intersection of innumerable topics within biology.
In addition to science…
My curiosity and love of discovery translates into the activities I pursue outside my workday. Fishing is a perfect example: the combination of presentation, location, weather, and knowledge required to find the perfect fish are a match (pun intended) for a person who seeks complex questions in his work. The rush of seeing an monster smallmouth come out of the deep might play into it too. I’m also a runner, a data visualization and HPC geek, and a novice mountain biker.
Click below to read about my scientific interests, research experience, see photos of some fish, or find examples of my work.
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