My main research interest primarily pertains to chelonian physiology; more specifically I examine the interaction among different innate immune components and mechanisms. Chelonians, like other reptiles, are a non-model organism in immunological studies and are consequently understudied. In captive populations, I am curious about how different husbandry practices affect chelonian immunocompetence because optimal husbandry practices are vital in ensuring the health of captive populations. In wild populations, my goal is to identify intrinsic differences in immune function between species both during stressful events and in response to various microbial challenges. Differing life histories between species may be more influential than taxonomic relatedness in regards to immune functioning. By using multiple chelonian models and more complete understanding of vertebrate immunology can be accomplished.

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Choose an image to learn more about my current and past research!

Innate immune function of North American freshwater turtles.

Innate immune function of tortoises housed at the Memphis Zoo.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct game counts.

Turtles in the Wild

Tortoises at the Zoo

Namibian UAVs