Our lab is broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of amphibians. We focus on how traits such as body size, coloration, and thermal tolerance vary across species, populations, and individuals. We examine how these traits are shaped by climate and environment, and how they influence species’ ability to persist under rapid global change.

Research in the lab is integrative. We combine fieldwork, laboratory experiments, natural history collections, community science data, and computational approaches. While salamanders are a major focus, we also study frogs and use broad-scale vertebrate datasets to place our work in a global context.
 
Global patterns of trait change
We investigate how phenotypic traits vary across space, time, and species. Using natural history collections, large-scale biodiversity datasets, and community science records, we explore broad-scale shifts in traits such as body size and coloration. By pairing these data with computational approaches like ecological modeling and machine learning, we test how climate and land use drive phenotypic change.
 
Color polymorphism in salamanders
Color polymorphisms provide an ideal system for studying ecological and evolutionary divergence. In species such as the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, morphs differ in traits like thermal tolerance, body size, and habitat preference. We use field studies, laboratory experiments, and image datasets to examine how morph differences are maintained, how they respond to climate change, and how they influence broader patterns of species ecology and distribution. 
 
Thermal ecology and species persistence
Amphibians are especially sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, making them excellent indicators of climate-driven change. Our lab investigates how variation in thermal physiology and behavior shapes ecological performance across individuals, populations, and species. By combining field experiments, laboratory trials, and ecological niche modeling, we assess how thermal traits influence current distributions and predict how populations may shift with climate change.