Research
2024 - Present
Keogh Lab - Phylogenomics of Australian reptiles
Australian National University | Canberra, Australia
As a postdoc with Scott Keogh, I am involved with inferring phylogenomic trees for several groups of Australian reptiles as part of the Australian Amphibian and Reptile Genome (AusARG) project.
2019 - 2024
Keogh Lab - Macroevolution of blindsnakes in Australia
Australian National University | Canberra, Australia
My PhD research consisted of two major parts. This first part involved extracting DNA from tissues deposited in museums across Australia, sequencing the DNA, and infferring a phylogeny for the Australian blindsnake genus Anilios. In the second part I used the phylogeny to test hypotheses about biogeographical history of the group, diversification dynamics, and how traits evolved in this continental radiation of ecologically conserved group.
2017-2018
Warner Lab - anoles
Auburn University | Auburn, AL, USA
My masters thesis research sought to find out if nesting behaviour by mother lizards can shield her eggs from non-ideal conditions. The fieldwork for this project was really fun because I got to walk around suburban Miami and look for anole eggs. We got some odd looks from passerby every now and again but every time was a great opportunity to tell a story about mother lizards and her eggs!
This project challenged me to organize a 2.5 month field work in Miami, not give in to mosquitoes, and to consider different ways to analyse data. I learned a lot about where anoles lay their eggs. Other than my thesis, I also assist in other on-going projects in the Warner Lab and act as a resident IT trouble shooter for my lab mates. Co-authors: Nathaniel Pavlik, Josh Hall, and Dan Warner
2015
Warner Lab - turtles and anoles
University of Alabama-Birmingham | Birmingham, AL, USA
I was funded by the Gonzaga Off-Campus Research Experience grant to work with Dr. Dan Warner (who was at the University of Alabama-Birmingham at the time). For the first part of the summer, I collected nesting data on Western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) in Round Lake State Park nearby Sandpoint, Idaho, as part of a long-term study on the geographic variation of temperature-dependent sex determination. For a month we camped in this lovely state park and went “turtling.” It was a fabulous time with camp foods every night.
The second part of the summer was at UAB. There, I conducted an experiment to test the effect of incubation conditions on survival and hatchling phenotypes of anole populations from urban and forested sites. This was the first time I learned to handle lizards and was responsible for caring for them. Prior to this experience, I was adverse to lizards, thanks to Tim Mitchell for showing me the ropes. After the summer, I analysed data and prepared manuscript that led to my first publication (Tiatragul et al. 2017).