Emma Sellers

I have always had a passion for science and asking questions about the natural world. I first completed my BSc at the University of Denver in Biological Sciences, minoring in German, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, and I found myself hooked on research. I decided to stay and pursue my MSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Denver, researching plant-insect interactions and transgenerational effects of diet in a generalist moth. Toward the end of my MSc, I asked myself what evolutionary fields I was most driven to explore further, and I realized I was fascinated by the evolution of reproductive traits and sexual selection.

After switching gears, I am now thrilled to be beginning my research project studying immunity and reproductive microbiomes in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Birds are one of the main reasons I originally found myself interested in sexual selection, and so I am excited to research the more intricate mechanisms behind individual reproductive success in a common passerine.