I'm a PhD Candidate studying the evolution of silk-spinning systems of marine amphipod crustaceans. Silk is an incredible material that has evolved over 30 times convergently only in arthropods, like insects, spiders, and crustaceans. Amphipods have received little attention in this field, yet may hold the secret to how this adaptation keeps evolving in the largest group of animals on our planet. I study the origins and evolution of silk adaptation in amphipods through histological staining and imaging, genomic, & RNA-seq methods. I work with specimens found locally in Santa Barbara and globally from Bocas Del Toro Panama to Antarctica. If you find this work fascinating feel free to reach out to chat or inquire about undergraduate research positions!