My research program seeks to understand the evolution and regulation of the cytoskeleton. My lab's work is aligned with Plant Biology as our main research organisms, chytrid fungi and Naegleria amoebae, are key players in global ecosystems, and can be found in soil environments around the world. We regularly interact with plant biologists outside of UMass, particularly at the Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton Gordon Research Conference (I have attended every one of these conferences since I started my postdoc in 2010 and consider this one of my primary professional communities). I attend PB seminars and find the work there aligned with that of my own lab, including molecular biology, development, and evolution. Moreover, the techniques used by my lab members align with those of other PB labs, and include molecular biology, evolutionary biology, and microscopy. I therefore would like to join PB to increase my participation with this UMass community.