My name is Austin Biddy, and I am a PhD Candidate in Dr. Greer Dolby’s lab. My dissertation research is focused on the multi-omic and hierarchical controls on physiological drought tolerance in Crotalus rattlesnakes across a precipitation gradient in the Sonoran Desert. I am implementing a phylogenetic framework with lineage comparisons of differing divergence times to understand how drought phenotypes are achieved along this gradient (i.e., chromosomal rearrangements, methylation, or genetic mutations). Broadly, my research interests are in how species are adapted to and can survive in harsh, desert climates, as well as sky island systems.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Greer Dolby