Email | alexandraboren@berkeley.edu

Favorite Arthropod | Armadillidium vulgare (the roly-poly!!)

Hobbies | Rock climbing, finding cool bugs while hiking, reading/writing fiction, and perfecting my unicycling skills

Research Area | Conservation Biology / Disease Ecology / Invasive Species

Research Interests 

I am widely interested in the impact of disturbances, especially disease or invasive species, on ecological interactions. My main interest lies in prioritizing biodiversity conservation by monitoring those disturbances using eDNA and other non-invasive methods. Prior to joining the EvoLab, I worked in a lab using genetic techniques to study amphibians and the chytrid fungus Bd–I’m excited to translate that foundation in ecology over to the study of arthropods!

Current Projects:
I am working on a variety of sample processing and analysis, ranging from DNA extraction to eDNA metabarcoding. I will be developing an honors thesis that focuses on the application of novel eDNA methods to monitor biodiversity and species interactions.