Scientific Reseach

Having initially started research investigating non-coding RNAs in Drosophila, I moved on to use CRISPR-Cas9 and Gibson's assembly to create and investigate a range of mitochodrial mutants in C.elegans. This inspired my interest in nematode diversity which is now my key interest. In particular, I am interested in nematode diversity in novel food production systems and how different nematode assemblages might influence growth, disease/pest prevention and overal yields. I am also interested in the regulatory environments surrounding novel food production systems.

Pedagogic Research

I am an advocate for critical thinking and much of my educational research centres around Bloom's taxonomy, higher order cognitive skills and assessment methods. I am also interested in graduate teaching assistants (GTA) and the role they play in student learning and my research aims to help better understand this relatively understudied area of pedagogic research.