Katherine Dixon

University of Chicago email: kpdixon@case.edu

Department of Ecology and Evolution website: katherinedixon.weebly.com/

Education
PhD Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago Expected 2022
Advisor: Greg Dwyer
Committee: Greg Dwyer, Sarah Cobey, Tim Wootton, Carlos Polivka
M.S. Biology, Case Western Reserve University 2017
GPA 4.00/4.00
Advisor: Karen Abbott
Committee: Karen Abbott, Sarah Diamond, Robin Snyder
B.S. Biology, Case Western Reserve University 2015
GPA 3.87/4.00
Magna Cum Laude, Honors in Biology, Phi Beta Kappa
Abroad, Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences 2013

Research Interests
Theoretical ecology, disease ecology, dispersal dynamics, abiotic factors affecting disease
dynamics, host and pathogen heterogeneity, ecosystem based management.

Awards and Fellowships

Hinds Fund for Graduate Student Research in Evolutionary Biology (2019)
Awarded funding to students studying problems in evolutionary biology at University of
Chicago ($2500).
GAANN Fellowship in Quantitative Ecology (2017-2019)
Appointed as a fellow and awarded yearly stipend of $34,000 at University of Chicago.
Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship (2015)
Awarded funding to do research abroad for Case Western recent graduates ($2975).
1st place poster presentation (2014)
Awarded to the best presentation in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics category at
Case Western Poster Symposium.

Research Experience
Graduate Research
University of Chicago, Dwyer Lab 2017-Present
Worked on virus strain coexistence in Douglas Fir tussock moth- baculovirus system.
Used transmission experiments and maximum likelihood approaches to study differences
between virus strains.
Case Western Reserve University, Abbott Lab 2015-2017
Worked on a disease-modeling project investigating the interaction of El Nino and
disease on population dynamics and management in an endemic species.
Capstone Project and Honors Thesis 2014-2015
Case Western Reserve University, Abbott Lab
Worked on a mathematical, disease-modeling project with Dr. Karen Abbott and Dr.
Christopher Moore to analyze a two-host simulation model.
NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) 2014
University of Texas at El Paso, Walsh Lab
Worked autonomously on a phylogenetic project on Rotifers with Dr. Elizabeth Walsh.
Experience with field research in the Chihuahuan Desert and molecular laboratory work,
which involved prepping samples for sequencing. Experience using phylogenetic
programs for analyses and presenting research.

Posters and Presentations

Interactive effects of El Nino and birth weight on dispersal and mortality in California sea lions
(2017)
Contributed talk presented at the 102nd Ecological Society of America meeting in
Portland, OR
The influence of disease and climate on pinniped species at local and regional spatial scales
(2017)
Oral defense of Masters thesis at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio
Interactive effects of a climate driver and introduced disease on a threatened endemic species
(2016)
Poster presented at contributed poster session at 101st Ecological Society of America
meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Spatial dynamics of canine distemper and vaccination efforts in Galapagos sea lions and
introduced dogs (2015)
Oral defense of Honors thesis at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Spatial Dynamics of Canine Distemper Virus in Galapagos Sea Lions and Introduced Dogs
(2014)
Poster symposium at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Phylogeny of Rotifer Superorder Gnesiotrocha (2014)
Poster symposium at University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas

In preparation for submission

Dixon, K.P., Moore, C.M., Abbott, K.C. “Spatial dynamics of disease in a two-host island
system.”
Dixon, K.P., Moore, C.M, Abbott, K.C. “Interactive effects of a climate driver and introduced
disease on a threatened endemic.”
Dixon, K.P., Abbott, K.C. “Interactive effect of ENSO and birth weight on California sea lion
population at regional spatial scales”

Teaching Experience
University of Chicago Teaching Assistant
Course Name (# of sections) Description
ECEV 429 Theoretical Ecology (1) Course for graduate students
CWRU Graduate Teaching Assistant:
Biol 352 Ecology and Evolution of Course for upper level biology and math
Infectious Diseases (1) students
Biol 351 Principles of Ecology (1) Lab course for upper level biology students
Biol 215L Cells and Proteins Lab (1) Lab course for freshmen biology students
Biol 304 Fitting Models to Data: Course for upper level biology and math
 Maximum Likelihood Methods (1) students
CWRU Undergraduate Teaching Assistant:
Biol 215L Cells and Proteins Lab (4) Lab course for freshmen biology students

Technical Experience
Expert in R programming language
Disease simulation modeling
Maximum likelihood and other statistical methods
Experience as the teaching assistant for 3 courses where R was used heavily
Experience in MATLAB programming language
Disease simulation modeling
Experience as teaching assistant for 1 course where MATLAB was used heavily
Experience in Python programming language
Statistical modeling and data analysis
Experience using phylogenetic programs (MrBayes, jModelTest, Garli, RASP)

Other Experience
Molecular lab work (PCR, preparation for genetic sequencing)
Advanced PADI Scuba Diver