LucasÌýFlorsheim
- PhD Student
Gene regulation • Evolutionary trajectories • Natural hybridization
I am interested in how hybridization influences fitness, gene regulation and evolutionary trajectories in natural populations
I am broadly interested in understanding how hybridization shapes biological outcomes in natural populations, with a particular focus on its effects on fitness, gene regulation, and long-term evolutionary trajectories. I am especially drawn to questions around how interactions between closely related species influence patterns of gene expression when they come into contact. In hybrid zones, where species boundaries are porous and genomes interact directly, I am curious about how regulatory networks respond, reorganize, or break down, and how these expression patterns contribute to adaptation, constraint, or reduced fitness. By examining gene expression in the context of species co-occurrence, I hope to better understand how hybridization acts not only as a source of genetic variation but also as a dynamic force shaping evolutionary processes in real ecological settings.
Advisor:Ìý
Education
BA (Biology): Pomona College, 2024
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