Melissa is the head of the lab! She grew up in Colorado, but bounced around to 5 states and 40 countries before landing in east Tennessee. Her true loves are plants and insects (and the occasional fungus). She is fascinated by the intersections between trophic ecology, symbiosis, and chemical manipulation of animal behavior. She is an insufferable foodie and ant-lover, but most of her free time goes to exploring southern Appalachia and working on her 104-year old house.