Karla Vargas
University of Arizona
School of Natural Resources and the Environment–SNRE
PhD student – entered Fall 2014
Major: Natural Resources / Wildlife Conservation and Management
Minor: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Master’s degree
Natural Resources Development – Texas A&M University
Bachelor’s degree
Agricultural Sciences – EARTH University, Costa Rica
My research interests are wildlife conservation, conservation genetics and genomics, and non-invasive genetic techniques. I’m broadly interested in applying genetic methods to problems in conservation biology, with an emphasis on vertebrate species.
My current project ”Phylogenomic analysis of Bobwhite quail in Southern Arizona and Mexico” focuses on reconstructing the evolutionary history of several subspecies of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) on the basis of the analysis of their genomes (ultraconserved elements) to aid in the recovery efforts of the endangered Masked Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi).
I also work as a Research Technician, which allows me to work with different molecular genetic tools for a variety of conservation genetic projects concerning endangered or threatened populations.