My overall goal is to apply the methods that scientists have developed for pharmacological and medicinal research to ecological and evolutionary questions. Modern molecular methods, from microarrays to next generation sequencing, have the potential to revolutionize the way we study threatened ecosystems, habitats and species. Key questions include those investigating the origin and extinction of species, the evolution of novel traits or behaviors, how sequence patterns reflect evolution and selection, and the effect of anthropogenic activity on organisms at the genetic level.

My dissertation research focuses on the evolution of the toxin protein family present in the Scorpaeniformes, the venomous order of fishes that includes scorpionfish, lionfish and stonefish. Toxins represent unique evolutionary adaptations which can have biomedical uses. While biochemical investigation has revealed a similar proteinaceous toxin across the order, there is no understanding of where this protein came from, or how it evolves to be highly toxic in one species and less toxic in another. Currently, I am investigating the presence of this toxin in Cephalopholis argus, an introduced grouper in the Hawaiian Islands, and determining if this toxin might be affecting ciguatera testing in this species. I am also mapping the changes in this toxin across the order to better understand what parts of the protein are necessary for strong toxicity.

Learn more about Christie's research on her Academia.edu page or follow her citations in Google Scholar