I am a biologist with a keen interest in multidimesnional research programs covering subjects ranging from spatial ecology, ecotoxicology, disease ecology, and conservation genetics. My strengths include project development and management, supervision, fundraising, collaboration, and communication and outreach.

I’m currently available for new employment. See my CV for more information.

I’m currently based in South Africa but available for remote employment, employment requiring periodic travel to international work sites, or employment requiring a relocation.

I graduated with a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California in Los Angeles in 2014. My dissertation focused on the effects of urbanization and rodenticide exposure on disease susceptibility, genetic change, and immunology of bobcats in an urban landscape. The publications resulting from my PhD dissertation drove legislative change surrounding consumer availability of rodenticide poisons across California.

After graduating, I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to launch the Urban Caracal Project for my postdoctoral research at the University of Cape Town. With the Urban Caracal Project, I built a research program that has examined the impacts of urbanization on the behavioral ecology, ecotoxicology, disease ecology, and genetic health of caracals. This program has resulted in 14 publications since 2019 with more in the works.

While continuing to work on the Urban Caracal Project, I also completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Chris Wilmers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. There, I examined bobcat habitat connectivity in a landscape slated for rapid commercial development. The study led to a historic land purchase by a local NGO to maintain habitat connectivity and protect the landscape.

Next, I was hired by Panthera as a conservation scientist with their Small Cats Program. With Panthera, I led or advised projects on 3 continents. Studies include examining the effects of shrimp farming on the spatial ecology of fishing cats and a study examining the effects of logging on bobcats. This role has included training international teams, assisting with program management, data analysis and publication.

Project development

I conceptualized both dissertation research and the Urban Caracal Project which required extensive proposal writing. I managed project logistics from the ground up, including in a country new to me (South Africa).

Grant writing

For both my dissertation research and the Urban Caracal Project, I needed to raise the funds required to support the entirety of each project. I have extensive grant writing experience and developed relationships with private donors in the US and in South Africa.

Diverse interests and skill set

Collaborative researcher

My work has spanned the topics of disease ecology, ecotoxicology, conservation genetics, and spatial ecology. I excel in the field and can learn new techniques quickly. I have also conducted a variety of different statistical analyses and am a capable R user. I have experience working in genetics and immunology laboratories. While I have primarily worked with small cats, I look forward to opportunities to branch into other carnivore research. Through my fieldwork on small cats, I have captured numerous other carnivore species such as foxes, raccoons, mongooses, genets, and even otters. I also have experience handling gray foxes and opossums.

I find collaborations to be one of the most stimulating and exciting aspects of my profession. I have collaborated with numerous Universities, government agencies, and NGOs both internationally and in the U.S. I also enjoy supervising and mentoring graduate students, promoting their development but also engaging in their topics of interest.