Corinne Richards-Zawacki

The ecology and evolution of host-pathogen interactions

My research lies at the intersection of ecology and evolutionary biology in that I approach questions about how changes in climate and habitat shape population and community processes in a way that explicitly considers their evolutionary implications. In doing this, I take an approach that integrates studies of molecular and phenotypic variation, including morphological, ecological, and behavioral aspects of phenotype. I focus mainly on amphibians because their diversity provides an exciting backdrop for exploring the interplay between ecology and evolution across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. The questions I ask address (1) how climate and host/pathogen evolution shape the dynamics of wildlife diseases, (2) the effects of changes in climate and landscape on species distributions and diversity, (3) how and when reproductive isolation evolves during speciation, and (4) the natural history and conservation of endangered amphibians.