| 2009 | Ph.D. | Duke University |
| Department of Biology | ||
| Concentration: Evolutionary Ecology | ||
| 2002 | B.A. | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Double Major: Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, and Biochemistry | ||
| Minor: Chemistry | ||
| Summa Cum Laude, With Distinction |
Next generation sequencing, genome assembly, comparative phylogeography, population genetics, invasion biology of parasitic plants and their hosts.
| 2013-present | Postdoctoral Researcher |
| Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder | |
| Advisor: Erin Tripp | |
| Project: Bioinformatics and assembly of chloroplast genomes. | |
| 2010-2013 | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Dept. of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University (2010-2012), Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame (2012-2013) | |
| Advisors: Bryan Carstens, Kyle Harms, and Jason McLachlan | |
| Project: Understanding forest responses to climate change through fossils, genetics, and model | |
| Funded through a NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology. The postdoc was paused for one year for family leave. | |
| 2002-2009 | Ph.D. Student |
| Dept. of Biology, Duke University | |
| Advisor: Paul Manos | |
| Dissertation: Host constraints on the post-glacial migration history of the parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana. | |
| 1999-2002 | Undergraduate Research Assistant |
| Dept. of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado | |
| Advisor: Jeff Mitton | |
| Honors Thesis: A recent natural history of quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides: A phylogeography using organellar DNA. | |
| 1999-2002 | Undergraduate Research Assistant |
| Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado | |
| Advisor: Veronica Vaida | |
| Project: Surface properties and reactions of organic monolayers and their implications for marine aerosols. |
| 2009 | Teaching Assistant | Organismal Diversity | Dept. of Biology, Duke University |
| 2007, 2008 | Teaching Assistant | Genetics and Molecular Biology | Dept. of Biology, Duke University |
| 2004-2005 | Teaching Assistant | Organismal Diversity | Dept. of Biology, Duke University |
| 2001-2002 | Teaching Assistant | Data Structures | Dept. of Computer Science, University of Colorado |
| Fall 2001 | Co-Instructor | General Chemistry Co-Seminar | Minority Arts and Sciences Program, University of Colorado |
| 2000-2001 | Group Tutor | Organic Chemistry | Student Academic Services, University of Colorado |
| Summmers 1999, 2000 | Teaching Assistant | General Chemistry | Minority Arts and Sciences Program, University of Colorado |
| 2010-2012 | Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology (Bioinformatics) | National Science Foundation |
| 2008 | Biology Department One-Semester Fellowship | Duke University |
| 2002-2007 | Graduate Research Fellowship | National Science Foundation |
| 2002-2006 | James B. Duke Fellowship | Duke University |
| 2002 | Outstanding Graduate for the College of Arts and Sciences | University of Colorado |
| 2006-2010 | Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant | National Science Foundation |
| Sum 2009 | Women in Science Conference Travel Award | Botanical Society of America |
| Sum 2007 | Summer of Code Project | Google, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) |
| Sum 2007 | Conference Travel Grant to Botany 2007 | Deep Time |
| 2006-2007 | Eloise Gerry Fellowship | Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science |
| 2006-2007 | Amy Lutz Rechel Award | Association for Women in Science |
| 2006-2007 | Graduate Student Research Grant | American Society of Plant Taxonomists |
| 2006-2007 | Grant in Aid | Sigma Xi |
| 2006-2007 | Grant in Aid | Department of Biology, Duke University |
| 2006-2007 | Graduate School International Research Travel Award | Duke University |
| 2005-2006 | Graduate School International Research Travel Award | Duke University |
| 2004-2005 | Grant in Aid | Department of Biology, Duke University |
| 2003-2004 | Grant for Training in Plant/Fungal Systematics | Duke University, Mellon Foundation (3 separate awards) |
Burge, DO, R Hopkins, YE Tsai, and PS Manos. 2013. Limited hybridization across an edaphic disjunction between the gabbro-endemic shrub Ceanothus roderickii (Rhamnaceae) and the soil-generalist C. cuneatus. Am. J. Bot. 100(9):1883-1895. [html]
Tsai, YE, and BC Carstens. 2012. Assessing model fit in phylogeographical investigations: An example from the North American sandbar willow Salix melanopsis. Journal of Biogeography. 40(1):131-141. [html]
Tsai, YE. 2011. PhyloGeoViz: a web-based program that visualizes genetic data on maps. Molecular Ecology Resources 11(3): 557-561. [html] [pre-review pdf]
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. 2010. Host density drives the postglacial migration of the tree parasite, Epifagus virginiana. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 107:17035-17040. [html] [pdf] [Supporting online information]
Tsai, YE. 2009. Host constraints on the post-glacial migration history of the parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana. Ph.D. Dissertation. Duke University, Durham, NC.
Tsai, YE, and JB Mitton. 2002. A recent natural history of quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides: A phylogeography using organellar DNA. Honors Thesis. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
Tsai, YE. Understanding species range shifts through genetics, fossils, and models. Humanists of Colorado; Denver, CO; 10 April 2013.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Using fossils and genetics to identify host constraints on a parasite’s migration history. Dept. of Biology, Southeastern Louisiana State University, Departmental seminar series; Hammond, LA; 18 February 2011.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Synthesis of fossils and genetics reveals host controls on the post-glacial migration of a parasitic plant. Dept. of Integrative Biology, Univ. of California at Berkeley, Departmental seminar series; Berkeley, CA; 21 October 2010.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Host constraints on the post-glacial migration history of the parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana. Dept. of Biological Sciences, Systematics, Ecology and Evolution seminar series; Baton Rouge, LA; 13 September 2010.
Tsai, YE. Host constraints on the post-glacial migration history of the parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana. Dept. of Biology, Systematics seminar series; Durham, NC; 19 November 2009.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Global change, parasites, and community assembly: How a parasite expanded its range in the shadow of its host. Oosting Memorial Symposium; Durham, NC; 17 April 2009.
Tsai, YE, ST O’Neil, and JS McLachlan. Using ancient DNA and Hapler to reconstruct past forest composition. PAGES workshop on climate refugia, University of Oregon; Eugene, OR; 1 August 2012.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Synthesizing fossils and genetics in phylogeography: Applications of spatial linear models to understanding multi-species distributions. ESA 2010; Pittsburgh, PA; 3 August 2010.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Fossil pollen, cpDNA, hosts, and parasites: Synthesizing datasets and testing phylogeographic hypotheses. Botany/Mycology 2009; Snowbird, UT; 27 July 2009.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Host constraints on the post-glacial migration of the parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana. [Poster]. Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science National Business Meeting; Raleigh, NC; 20 June 2009.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Beechdrops on the move: A parasitic plant’s tale of host influences on post-glacial recolonization. Botany 2008; Vancouver, BC; 28 July 2008.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. A phylogeographic exploration of host constraints on the post-glacial migration of a parasitic plant, Epifagus virginiana.Evolution 2008; Minneapolis, MN; 23 June 2008.
Tsai, YE, and D Kidd. PhyloGeoViz: Want to put pie charts on a map? Then PhyloGeoViz is the application for you. NESCent Phyloinformatics End-of-Summer-of-Code Meeting; Durham, NC; 16 August 2007.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. The hitchhiker’s guide to the forest: A parasitic plant’s account of the range expansion of its host. Botany Conference; Chicago, IL; 10 July 2007.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Do hosts and their obligate parasites co-migrate? Inferences from the post-glacial phylogeographies of beech (Fagus grandifolia) and beechdrop (Epifagus virginiana). Botany Conference; Chico, CA; 2 August 2006.
Tsai, YE, and PS Manos. Do hosts and their obligate parasites co-migrate? Inferences from the post-glacial phylogeographies of beech (Fagus grandifolia) and beechdrop (Epifagus virginiana). Evolution Conference; Stony Brook, NY; 24 June 2006.
Vaida, V, and YE Tsai. Surface Properties and Reactions of Organic Monolayers and Their Implications for Marine Aerosols. University of Colorado, NSF-REU Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Symposium; Boulder, CO; 10 August 2001
Tsai, YE, and JB Mitton. A phylogeography of quaking aspen using organellar DNA markers. [Poster]. University of Colorado, Undergraduate Research Day; Boulder, CO; 25 April 2001.
Tsai, YE, and JB Mitton. A phylogeography of quaking aspen using organellar DNA markers. University of Colorado, Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology Student Symposium; Boulder, CO; 28 April 2001.
| Summer 2007 | Developer of PhyloGeoViz, a phylogeographic visualization tool. | Mentoring organization: National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), sponsored by the Google Summer of Code Program |
| 2005-2009 | Planning committee chair '07-'09; Webmaster '05-'09; planning committee member '05-'09. | Women in Science and Engineering, Duke University |
| Summers 2007, 2008 | Assistant Coordinator | Howard Hughes Program for Precollege Students |
| Summers 2004, 2005, 2006 | Mentor | NSF-Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, Duke University |
| 2003-2004 | Co-Editor of the Biology Graduate Student Handbook 2004-2005 | Department of Biology, Duke University |
Society for the Study of Evolution
American Society of Plant Taxonomists
Botanical Society of America
Sigma Xi
Graduate Women in Science/Sigma Delta Epsilon
Association of Women in Science
American Association of University Women
Journal of Biogeography, PloS One, Heredity, Journal of Plant Research, Molecular Ecology Resources, Transactions in GIS, iEvoBio, and American Journal of Botany