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I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, where I am advised by Dr. Liliana Dávalos. Broadly speaking, I am interested in the evolution of odd or unique traits. There are a myriad of genetic mechanisms that can lead to a novel trait, from "simple" mutations to whole-genome duplications, that can alter gene function or regulation, and thus, phenotype. Due to the variety of underlying mechanisms and processes of trait evolution, I honestly feel quite like Darwin being dropped off by the Beagle in South America, except my Mac drops me off to explore the vast "-omics" data generated in the past couple of decades to conduct my experiments. Ultimately, I utilize a variety of techniques, such as comparative genomics, populations genetics, and transcriptomics, to help identify both the molecular basis and evolutionary processes that have shaped a trait of interest. Specifically, plastic traits such as thermoregulation, hibernation, and diet have been of special interest to me, as understanding within generation alternations in phenotype may be of increased importance in our rapidly changing world. ContactDepartment of Ecology and Evolution
Stony Brook University Life Science 628 Stony Brook, NY 11794 william.thomas@stonybrook.edu |
