Microbiome Resilience and Amphibian Disease

Microbial communities living on amphibian skin play a critical role in protecting hosts from emerging infectious diseases. Using amphibian populations across Chile, my research investigates how bacteria respond to infection by the deadly chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). Rather than focusing on which bacterial species are present, we are examining how microbial functions are maintained despite environmental change and pathogen disturbance. Our results may help explain why some amphibian species tolerate infection while others decline. This work is done in collaboration with Dr. Leonardo Bacigalupe, Dr. Jaiber Solano-Iguaran, Dr. Andrés Valenzuela, and Dr. Claudio Azat.

Evolutionary Ecology of Host–Parasite Interactions

Parasites are ubiquitous components of natural ecosystems and can exert strong selective pressures on their hosts. My research explores the ecological and evolutionary drivers of variation in infection risk, with a particular focus on sex-biased parasitism in wild amphibian populations. By combining field observations with genomic approaches, I aim to understand how host traits, behavior, and population structure influence disease dynamics and evolutionary outcomes.