Lauren Johnston
Education
B.S. student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Honors College, University of Arizona, 2009 – present
Honors and Awards
UBRP Fellow 2012
Phi Beta Kappa Society 2012
Honors College Undergraduate Research Grant 2012
Flinn Scholar class of 2009
National Merit Scholar class of 2009
Bonnevie Scholarship 2009
Elks Scholar 2009
Research
I am interested in the evolution of host-parasite interactions within a community ecology context. I am currently working on my honors thesis with Dr. Noah Whiteman and Dr. Jennifer Koop. My project is looking for evidence of host-race formation in the Desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum. This dioecious, hemiparasitic plant is part of a keystone ecological interaction in the Sonoran Desert. Desert mistletoe fruit in the winter months, providing an important food source for Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), a common migrant bird. I will be developing microsatellite markers for mistletoe samples taken from Palo Verde trees and Velvet Mesquite trees, as well as attempting to map a chloroplast genome for each. We are also performing a reciprocal transfer experiment to determine if mistletoe experience differential survival on varying host tree species.
Background
I grew up in Tempe, Arizona, and moved to Tucson in 2009 to pursue a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Spanish. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking and camping around Tucson, reading, baking, and cooking (and eating).
B.S. student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Honors College, University of Arizona, 2009 – present
Honors and Awards
UBRP Fellow 2012
Phi Beta Kappa Society 2012
Honors College Undergraduate Research Grant 2012
Flinn Scholar class of 2009
National Merit Scholar class of 2009
Bonnevie Scholarship 2009
Elks Scholar 2009
Research
I am interested in the evolution of host-parasite interactions within a community ecology context. I am currently working on my honors thesis with Dr. Noah Whiteman and Dr. Jennifer Koop. My project is looking for evidence of host-race formation in the Desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum. This dioecious, hemiparasitic plant is part of a keystone ecological interaction in the Sonoran Desert. Desert mistletoe fruit in the winter months, providing an important food source for Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), a common migrant bird. I will be developing microsatellite markers for mistletoe samples taken from Palo Verde trees and Velvet Mesquite trees, as well as attempting to map a chloroplast genome for each. We are also performing a reciprocal transfer experiment to determine if mistletoe experience differential survival on varying host tree species.
Background
I grew up in Tempe, Arizona, and moved to Tucson in 2009 to pursue a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Spanish. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking and camping around Tucson, reading, baking, and cooking (and eating).
Left: Two mistletoe seeds placed on a branch of a Palo Verde tree for the reciprocal transfer experiment.
Right: A Phainopepla perched on the top of a Velvet Mesquite tree infected with a desert mistletoe.
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