Emma Steigerwald
I am a biologist, dedicated to applying genomic tools to questions in amphibian evolutionary ecology and conservation biology.
Currently a doctoral candidate at UC Berkeley, I am co-advised by Dr. Rasmus Nielsen of the Department of Integrative Biology and Dr. Rosemary Gillespie of the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.
I am affiliated with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley and the Sibinacocha Watershed Project team, an alliance of scientists from diverse disciplines working to promote environmental conservation and the wellbeing of Quechua indigenous communities in the Cordillera Vilcanota, where I conduct my field research.
I am also proud to serve as chair of the AmphibiaWeb Conservation Working Group, which works to keep information relevant to amphibian conservation up-to-date on AmphibiaWeb.org and to demonstrate the utility of public databases for amphibian conservation through publications.
Environmental change genomics
The evolutionary ecology of
climate-driven range shifts
All over the world, countless species are undergoing elevational and latitudinal range shifts in response to our rapidly changing climate. I am using low-coverage whole genome data to study how contemporary, climate-driven range shifts shape spatial patterns in genetic diversity, and the consequent implications for the adaptation of affected species.
Range shifts and
pathogen evolution
As species' ranges and patterns of connectivity across the landscape change, their pathogens and parasites frequently accompany them. Using pathogen load and genomic data, I am asking how the climate-driven range shifts of hosts may reshape disease transmission and infection outcomes.
.png)
Using eDNA to study the
impact of invasive species
Invasive species compose another critically important dimension of global change biology. I am using aquatic environmental DNA to examine the impacts of invasive aquatic predators on native stream communities, with a particular interest in implications for amphibian diversity.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in academia
Academia is not currently representative of the rich perspectives and backgrounds diverse scholars can bring to the table. I hope to contribute to making the scientific community more welcoming and our research products more accessible.
As chair of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology working group on Translation, I have been privileged to work with some incredibly thoughtful scholars as we
-
founded an undergraduate seminar called Breaking Language Barriers in Ecology and Evolution (IB 84) that has made multilingual translations of important works in ecology and evolution available on the Understanding Evolution website, and
-
helped establish the first ever UC Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology Science Communication mini-grants.
Here's to making science better through swinging the doors wide open!