I love exploring new ideas and experiences. In recent years, I have been an avid hiker and have enjoyed exploring the rugged beauty of the American West, especially the Sierra Nevada. When conference travel or vacation takes me to the coast, I also enjoy bringing my fins to explore marine life and spend time tide-pooling.
After relocating to Dallas, I’ve picked up a new hobby: birding. On and around the UTSW campus, I enjoy watching Great Egrets, Bald Eagles, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Anhingas, White Ibises, and the massive flocks of grackles. It was incredible to discover such a rich biodiversity in an urban environment, and I am still waiting to spot the brightly colored Painted Bunting.
I also enjoy learning about subjects outside my own research, from ecology, paleontology, and astronomy to game theory and social sciences. In my PhD, I had many conversations with my advisor, Ran Kafri that extended beyond biology to philosophy, Wittgenstein, Kuhn, and the nature of scientific inquiry, fueling my growing interest in the science of science.
On Rubicon Peak above Lake Tahoe with Camille to celebrate the mouse lemur atlas papers. 
Enjoying the view from Mono Pass on a Sierra Nevada camping trip. 
Breeding egrets — there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of them on our campus!