Parasitic isopods are found on a wide range of hosts including fish and crustaceans. In my lab we focus on the Epicaridea, a group of isopods that are exclusively parasites of crustaceans. Although some members of the group are endoparasitic in the abdominal cavity of hosts, most are ectoparasitic in the branchial chamber. The females pierce the body of hosts and feed on their blood, often shutting down their reproduction - including of some commercially important species such as shrimp. In collaboration with Dr. Christopher B. Boyko (Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History), we are investigating the worldwide diversity of the group, describing new species and analyzing their phylogenetic relationships. In addition, we attempt to fill in some of the gaps on their natural history (including reproduction), impacts on hosts and shared evolutionary history. Currently we are working on species from the Philippines and other areas of the Indo-West Pacific that are poorly known.