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Research Summary

My research focuses on the evolutionary and spatial processes that shape the emergence and spread of epidemic bacterial pathogens. Specifically, I use whole-genome sequencing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates to reconstruct how the dominant U.S. lineage, USA300-NAE MRSA, spread across the continent. Combining population genomic summary statistics, approximate Bayesian computation, range expansion theory, and phylogenetic measures of epidemic success, my research identifies the origin and axis of geographic dispersal, the underlying genomic features associated with dispersal, and the impact of dispersal on the epidemic success and demography of microbial populations.