Doctoral Candidate
BA Biology, New College of Florida, 2008
Research
I am studying the effects of mountaintop removal/valley fill coal mining in West Virginia on native fish species, with a particular focus on selenium contamination in the Mud River. I also model selenium exposure and subsequent toxicity to vulnerable early life stages in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). Currently I am focusing on maternal and trophic transfer of selenium in addition to investigating the potential for selenium exposure to induce oxidative stress. This work is part of a larger collaboration at Duke University that strives to understand the human and ecosystem impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.