Research

Fundamentally, my research is about extracting information from population samples of DNA sequences. More specifically, I use mathematical models to understand how a variety of current and historical factors conspire to produce the patterns of variation which are readily observable among individuals within species. I employ both analytical and computational techniques to make inferences about these factors from patterns of genetic variation.

The field I work in is called Theoretical Population Genetics. Follow the publications menu link for a list of references and articles to download for your fair use. These articles cover a number of topics, mainly in the sub-field of Theoretical Population Genetics called Coalescent Theory in which the objects of study are patterns of ancestral genetic relationships, or gene genealogies. You will find a bunch of articles about the genetics of subdivided populations with restricted migration, but also a number about populations in which one or a few individuals can have very large numbers of offspring, and one about a problem that has been overlooked in Coalescent Theory: that all loci in the genome have been transmitted through a single population pedigree. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading these. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me by email.

Most of this work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF or the NIH.