Living organisms can be profoundly impacted by their environment. My goal as a scientist is to understand how animals integrate environmental factors by studying the soil-dwelling nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Using genetic, cell biological and molecular approaches, I have studied how genetic pathways acting in C. elegans larvae integrate environmental signals to select reproductive versus diapaused developmental pathways (citations). My work also revealed how these genetic pathways can have long-lasting effects on C. elegans adult longevity and aging.

At WormAtlas, I work on the Handbooks, which communicate published research for a broad audience ranging from the general public to C. elegans specialists. We recently completed the Dauer Handbook, synthesizing current research about dauer larval anatomy and behavior. C. elegans, like many other nematode species, undergoes a dramatic physical remodeling upon enter the dauer diapause. The dauer larva is structurally optimized for long-term survival in harsh environments unsuitable for reproduction. Research published over more than 40 years describing C. elegans dauers was synthesized into the Dauer Handbook, made available worldwide to a broad audience from the WormAtlas website. In addition to the literature synthesis, engaging and informative figures were created using primary data contributed by C. elegans researchers. The WormAtlas Dauer Handbook enhances the value of the existing research by increasing its accessibility to a diverse audience. New Handbook sections will focus on the changes that occur during aging in this simple organism, C. elegans.