I am a PhD student in Biological Anthropology and a member of Dr. Brinkworth Lab and Dr. Stumpf Lab. I am interested in the evolutionary relationship between the host and microbiome and its role in the evolution of immune system responses to pathogens. For my dissertation project, I am studying the evolution of blood microbiome and its link to human sensitivity to lipopolysaccharide, a molecule on the cell-wall of gram-negative bacteria. We are investigating whether variations in blood microbiome and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations in the blood of human and non-human primates is related to the host sensitivity to LPS and the pathogenesis of sepsis. Please visit my website for more information about my research interests and background.
