I am interested in the physiological adaptations of mammals to their environment, and the evolutionary processes involved in those adaptations.

To understand how mammals function in their environment, I examine their physiology in a comparative framework.

Ph.D., Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 2008
University of California, Santa Cruz

B.S., Biology, 2001
University of California, San Diego

Curriculum Vitae
(external link)

For my Ph.D. thesis, I studied the differences between fur and blubber as insulation in mammals, with a focus on the otariids (fur seals and sea lions). Specifically, I examined the thermal properties of the fur and blubber of various otariid species, and compared the physiological and behavioral responses of the California sea lion and northern fur seal to different water temperatures.

For my next project...