Broadly, I am interested in the ecology and evolution of parasitic relationships and how parasitic lifestyles evolved from once free-living ancestors. I am particularly interested in the behavior of parasites, having studied its heritability and how variation in this key trait is generated and maintained. I address these research questions primarily with the facultatively parasitic mite: Macrocheles muscaedomesticae and their fruit fly hosts. I love being outside and observing the tiny and often over-looked critters!  Currently, I am an assistant professor at the University of Tampa where I primarily teach parasitology.