Abigail Ward is a PhD student in the Palkovacs lab with research focusing on thiamine deficiency in steelhead in California. Her work aims to understand how ocean diet contributes to this deficiency, the adaptive capacity of steelhead to low thiamine levels, and the potential for natural selection towards a resident life history. By exploring these areas, she hopes to uncover critical insights into the ecological and evolutionary dynamics affecting steelhead populations, ultimately informing conservation strategies for this important species.