Research Interest
I am interested in characterizing the microbiomes of diverse African populations. Understanding the microbiome is key to understanding the health of any population, and I am particularly interested in approaching this topic from a metabolic perspective. To do this, I am studying the interaction between host metabolic traits, host genome, and microbiome functions, using various approaches. My hope is to translate this work toward health interventions in global populations with African ancestry.
Education
2020 |
Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences |
2014 |
B.S. with Honors | summa cum laude, Arizona State University |
Research Experience
2016 – 2020 |
Doctoral Thesis Research, Pennsylvania State University |
2015 – 2016 |
Research Assistant, Pennsylvania State University |
11/2014 - 12/2014 |
Research Rotation:, Pennsylvania State University |
9/2014 – 10/2014 |
Research Rotation, Pennsylvania State University |
8/2014 – 9/2014 |
Research Rotation, Pennsylvania State University |
8/2012 - 12/2012 |
Undergraduate Research |
Awards and Scholarships
2018, 2019 |
Huck Institutes travel grant, Pennsylvania State University |
2017, 2018, 2019 |
Department of Biology travel grant, Pennsylvania State University |
2017, 2018 |
J. Ben and Helen D. Hill Memorial Fund, Pennsylvania State University |
2014 – 2017 |
Verne M. Willaman Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University (tuition support) |
2010 - 2014 |
New American University Scholarship, Arizona State University (tuition support) |
Publications
AM Harris, M DeGiorgio (2020). A likelihood approach for uncovering selective sweep signatures from haplotype data. Molecular Biology and Evolution link
AM Harris, M DeGiorgio (2020). Identifying and classifying shared selective sweeps from multilocus data. Genetics 215:143-171.
AM Harris, NR Garud, M DeGiorgio (2018).Detection and classification of hard and soft sweeps from unphased genotypes by multilocus genotype identity. Genetics 210:1429-1452.
AM Harris, M DeGiorgio (2017). Admixture and ancestry inference from ancient and modern samples through measures of population genetic drift. Human Biology 89:1
AM Harris, M DeGiorgio (2017). An unbiased estimator of gene diversity with improved variance for samples containing related and inbred individuals of any ploidy. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 7:671-691
E Chiel, SE Kelly, AM Harris, M Gebiola, X Li, E Zchori-Fein, MS Hunter (2014). Characteristics, phenotype and transmission of Wolbachia in the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), and its parasitoid Eretmocerus sp. nr. emiratus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae).