amphibian conservation, theoretical disease ecology, spatial modeling, statistical methods

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I am a first-year PhD student in the Briggs lab. I did my undergrad at Occidental College where I first began researching the "eater of salamanders," Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Bsal is a chytrid fungus that is deadly to some kinds of newts and salamanders, and has caused mass mortality events in newts in Western Europe since it's discovery in 2013 (read more here). My research project began as a simple question: of the currently proposed models of the spatial spread of Bsal, which one is the "best"? This question led my advisor and I down a rabbit hole of "model selection selection", and culminated in my honors thesis and a manuscript currently under review. Left with more questions than answers, I applied to the Briggs lab in my senior year of undergrad to continue to work on the Bsal system. 

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When I am not at work, I enjoy knitting, crocheting and weaving; yoga; Star Wars lego sets; smelling scented candles; and caring for Perseus (Percy) the Betta fish and Camilla the Nerite snail

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tatum.katz [at] lifesci.ucsb.edu