Research Interests

With the advent of affordable sequencing technology, there are myriad opportunities to tell new stories about our genetic material, what it means, and how we got it. My research area focuses specifically on the molecular evolution of processes involved in sexual reproduction and the ability of populations to adapt to changing landscapes. I also incorporate fine-scale and broad-scale measures of genomic health, from minor variants with significant health consequences, to the ability of a population to adapt to a changing landscape. While these are broad areas, my research aims to answer questions about our understanding of processes that impact us and our environment:

• What evolutionary processes govern which pieces of DNA we get from each of our parents?
• What sorts of consequences for meiotic recombination rate evolution arise from mutation? Drift? Selection?
• How do large-scale changes in fundamental genome structure occur?
• What is the evolutionary history of different sex determination mechanisms?
• What do sex differentiation processes look like in organisms with non-genetic sex determination?

About Taylor

I am a PhD candidate in computational biology at Mississippi State University, and my current research involves meiotic recombination, molecular evolution of traits, and population genetics.

I received my BSc in biomedical engineering at MSU in 2015, and soon after began a career at Washington University in St. Louis as a research technician investigating the role of mutations in actin-binding proteins on outcomes of pneummococcal disease. My training at WashU inspired a deep passion for molecular and computational biology, solidifying my desire to go back to school and study population genetics.

After an AmeriCorps VISTA term of service building capacity for opioid misuse prevention and lead poisoning prevention programming, I returned to MSU to begin my PhD with Dr. Amy Dapper. My dissertation projects include comparative phylogenetics of the evolution of the meiotic recombination pathway, population genetics of the American alligator, and the evolution of temperature-dependent sex determination mechanisms. In my spare time I enjoy birding, crafting, and hiking the great outdoors.

Contact Me

I am actively seeking postdoctoral opportunities! If you’re interested in collaborating or discussing potential positions, feel free to reach out at ts748[at]msstate.edu.