Jessica is a 3rd-year doctoral student in biological anthropology at Boston University. Her dissertation research compares the gut microbiomes of wild vervet monkeys living in three locations in South Africa. She wants to learn how the environment shapes host-associated gut microbial communities. Jessica is particularly interested in how the gut microbiome responds to external factors such as diet and its potential contributions to host health. Before attending Boston University, Jessica completed her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior at Florida Atlantic University. Outside of academic work, she enjoys pottery, reading, knitting, and paper crafting!