Prof. Birnbaum is an insect evolutionary ecologist and is generally interested in specialist species interactions and responses to stress.
Research Description
She uses a variety of systems to investigate insect interactions with host plants, parasites and parasitoids, and patterns of biodiversity. Most recently, she has been investigating milkweed aphid-parasitoid interactions with native California milkweed species and cordyceps fungal diversity in Costa Rica.
Students learn:
- Field ecology methods
- DNA/ RNA extractions, PCR, gel electrophoresis
- Bioinformatics
- Data analysis and visualization in R
Courses
Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution (Bio 110)
Evolutionary Biology (Bio 280)
Insect Evolutionary Ecology (Bio 370)
Los Angeles Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions (FYS 67)
Student Research Opportunities
Look for Research Methods in Biology (Bio 290) sections with Dr. Birnbaum, or email her for research opportunities.