Alphaviruses are globally distributed +ssRNA viruses which are transmitted by mosquito vectors. Viral determinants which impact the transmission and pathogenesis of numerous alphaviruses have been identified, including amino acid coding changes in the viral attachment protein (E2). However, the role of viral RNA secondary structure in viral emergence is still poorly defined. We have developed a computational approach to compare RNA structures across the alphavirus genus in order to identify RNA structure signatures associated with specific viral properties (e.g.

Understanding how adaptation proceeds via natural selection is a central goal of evolutionary biology, with broad implications for the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Our research group investigates the dynamics of rapid adaptation using manipulative experiments that combine ecology, evolution, and genomics. We aim to characterize the pace, genomic architecture, and ecological consequences of rapid evolution in natural environments.

Embryonic development is a genomically encoded construction process in which cells acquire their identities and build organs within a three-dimensional embryonic environment. A central question in developmental biology is: once cells know who they are, how do they construct the organs they are set to form? We address this question by studying the relatively simple system of sea urchin skeletogenesis, focusing on the interplay between gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that specify cell identity and cytoskeletal and adhesion protein networks that drive cell behavior and morphogenesis.

The ongoing climate change has put a spotlight on rapid evolutionary processes that could aid species adapt to new environments. However, many questions remain unanswered: What is the genetic architecture traits influencing fitness across environments? Is this genomic architecture predictable? Can we understand genetic constraints across multiple adaptive traits? How is genetic variation lost during extinction?

One of the core features of evolution is its uneven pace: whereas some traits and lineages appear relatively inert for millions of years, others diversify rapidly. What causes this disparity? To what extent are inferences about the pace of evolution influenced by the traits examined? Does stasis in one phenotypic dimension involve rapid evolution in another? I will address these questions by sharing discoveries made from the study of Caribbean anole lizards and Appalachian woodland salamanders.

Dr. Brennan studies the functional morphology of genitalia in vertebrates to understand their complex evolution. She is interested in coevolution because the mechanical interaction of genitalia suggests that male and female must fit together to make copulation possible, however, her work has highlighted the gaps in our understanding of female genitalia. She has worked with birds, dolphins, bats, sharks, skates and more recently alpacas and snakes, discovering amazing adaptations in all these groups.