Miriam (Mia) Miyagi
Current Research
Sex, Gender, Sexuality and Genomics
What issues (ethical and scientific) are latent in genomics studies of sex and sexuality? What gaps in rigor are present in sex-difference research? With members of the GenderSci lab, we survey these areas and identify possible interventions.
Quantifying Introgression
How do we interrogate particular loci and calculate the likelihood that they are introgressed? As a part of a project led by Nate Edelman, we developed a method (QuIBL) that uses gene tree branch lengths to describe introgression probabilities, which we use on data from Heliconius butterflies to characterize gene flow during and following a rapid radiation.
Genomic architecture and introgression shape a butterfly radiation
Past Projects
Topological Data Analysis and Genomics
What is the relationship between summary statistics generated by topological data analysis and quantities in population genetics? Can we leverage persistent homology to quickly compute parameters of interest, especially those involved in creating reticulations (e.g. recombination rate)? Jointly with Devon Humphreys and Melissa McGuirl, we find that we are able to construct a fast estimator of recombination rate, and provide a coalescent motivation for its behavior.
Fast Estimation of Recombination Rates Using Topological Data Analysis
Summarizing Sets of Discordant Trees
Can we construct a graph which preserves all ‘relevant’ edges in an input set of trees while not possessing any edges not found in the input? In work with Ward Wheeler, we find that such a construction exists, and furthermore is unique and computable in polynomial time.
Comparing and displaying phylogenetic trees using edge union networks
Evolution of Genome Length in Digital Organisms
Does changing the per-site mutation rate cause selection to act on evolvability in digital organisms? In a study led by Aditi Gupta using the agent-based digital evolution platform Avida, we find that modulating the mutation rate causes causes the genome length to increase or decrease in order to compensate for changes to the genome-wide mutation rate.