Currently, my research is focused on emerging environmental issues, such as benthic toxic cyanobacterial proliferations and algal adaptations to global change. Other foci for continuing research include the molecular phylogeny, systematics, and taxonomy of freshwater algae from aquatic ecosystems on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States. As part of international collaborations, I also study the biogeography and ecology of algae and cyanobacteria. I address scientific questions by incorporating a variety of field, laboratory, experimental, observational, microbiological, and molecular methods.

Projects

• NSF URoL:EN: Understanding the rule of life facilitating the proliferation of toxic cyanobacterial benthic mats in flowing freshwaters (collaborators Ramesh Goel, Harry Sundar - The University of Utah, Joanna Blaszczak, Robert Shriver - University of Nevada, Reno)
• Investigation of drivers of harmful algal blooms on the Shenandoah River, Virginia, funded by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (collaborators Chris Jones and Benoit Van Aken – GMU)
• Integrative characterization of the anatoxin-a-producing benthic cyanobacterium Microcoleus in the Shenandoah River, funded by4-VA@Mason Collaborative Research Grants (collaborators Pat Gillevet, Benoit Van Aken – GMU)
• Integrative molecular, morphological, and ecological studies of stream diatoms (collaborators Regine Jahn, Nelida Abarca, Oliver Skibbe, Jonas Zimmermann – Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Berlin, Germany)
• Stream diatoms from Mediterranean climates – comparison between diatom flora of southern California and Cyprus (collaborators Kalina Manoylov – Georgia College and State University, Marco Cantonati – University of Bologna, Italy)
• Biogeography, phylogeny, and ecology of desiccation-tolerant charophyte alga Zygogonium (Andreas Holzinger – University of Innsbruck, Austria, Lowise Lewis – University of Connecticut)