Our Work

Most recent work from the OHG Lab documented how the 2020 Northern California wildfires influenced the population health, fungal disease prevalence, and microbiomes of terrestrial salamanders. In addition, the OHG Lab is carrying on projects that use immunogenetics and environmental DNA to inform conservation decisions in western pond turtles, hellbenders, Pacific newts, and wood frogs. The OHG Lab welcomes undergraduate and graduate students interested in developing expertise in modern molecular techniques while studying pressing issues related to the disease ecology of New Mexico’s wildlife.

Microbial Metagenomics

Our microbial metagenomics research focuses on evaluating how environmental change as a result of wildfires and human activities on important host-associated microbiome phenotypes (e.g., anti-pathogen metabolite production). In the field, we use microbial metabarcoding to investigate the effects of wildfires on wildlife microbiomes.

Conservation Genomics

We are interested in evaluating co-evolutionary associations between hosts and pathogens through the use of modern genomics tools. We use population genetics approaches to track host conservation genetics and pathogen spread.

Landscape Disease Ecology

Factors such as urbanization, invasive species and infectious diseases threaten numerous wildlife. Our lab is exploring the interactions between these risk factors and population viability of invasive, vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species using remote sensing and GIS technologies.

New Mexican Wildlife

As a laboratory in a Land Grant University, we owe our jobs to the citizens of the great state of New Mexico. Our lab takes on local problems to provide solutions related to wildlife disease issues.