Guest Bio:
Hello! My name is Micaila Marcelle, and I’m a current junior double majoring in both applied mathematics and computer science at the University of Arizona. I’m a part of the Masel lab, and perform research in the field of theoretical population genetics, with my work specifically using simulations-based approaches to investigate brief genetic bottlenecks and their relationship with background selection. Background selection acts to reduce the amount of neutral genetic diversity present in a population, and there are two main types of it: linked and unlinked. My research primarily involves the latter; I run simulations to examine how unlinked background selection impacts a population under a brief genetic bottleneck, comparing these runs to our analytical expectations in order to better understand the effects of this form of background selection. I hope to continue using mathematics and computer science to answer questions in a variety of different fields, and plan to further my studies of these subjects in graduate school. Outside of classes, I’m an avid triathlete, and I love to read sci-fi, bake, and hike the Sonoran desert.
