outreach and service

I am passionate about outreach and community building, and I actively look for ways to contribute both within the research community and in broader public settings.

Outreach:

In August 2025, I organized “Breaking Bread: Exploring the Evolution of Amylase in Humans” at the Festa Major de Gràcia in Barcelona, selected as part of ESEB’s outreach initiative. This bilingual (English/Spanish) event, co-led with Thomas Hitchcock, introduced children and families to human evolution through interactive activities focused on the amylase locus. I also established “Talk Nerdy to Me”, a monthly event in Buffalo dedicated to science communication and public speaking, which creates a platform for researchers to practice sharing their work with diverse audiences.

Conferences:

In 2025, I chaired the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (with Joaquin Nunez) and co-chaired the associated GRC Power Hour™, which provides a dedicated forum for conversations amongst researchers. I also co-organized the Paving Pathways career symposium at the University at Buffalo, and earlier co-organized the SMBE 2024 symposium on the functional and adaptive effects of genomic structural variation.

Community building:

I coordinate the Genome Structure Evolution and Anthropology Seminar Series, which since 2022 has brought together over 35 researchers to discuss cutting-edge work in genome evolution.

At the University at Buffalo, I initiated the Postdoctoral Meet-ups in 2024, establishing regular gatherings that encourage connection, collaboration and mutual support among postdocs across disciplines.

Peer-review and editorship:

In 2025, I joined Heredity as Guest Editor for a special issue on structural variation, co-editing with Omer Gokcumen, Megan Dennis, and Ellen Leffler. I complement this editorial role with formal training through the GSA Journals Peer Review Training Program and the eLife Early-Career Reviewers Pool.