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Kaitlin joined the CoEvoD program as a third-year trainee supported by the NIH / NIGMS T32 Training Grant in 2026.

Kaitlin’s research seeks to understand how evolution modifies fundamental cellular systems that are typically constrained by the deleterious consequences of their dysregulation. By studying naturally evolved adaptations, she investigates how genetic variation reshapes conserved cellular pathways to support exceptional physiological performance while maintaining cellular homeostasis. The major goal of this project is to define the molecular mechanisms underlying these evolutionary innovations using complementary comparative models in horses and birdsBecause many of these pathways are also central regulators of human health, uncovering how evolution has modified them provides a unique opportunity to identify mechanisms relevant to human physiology and disease.