Francie Chew investigates consequences of ecological interactions between native and naturalized species, esp. native and naturalized representatives of the coevolved butterfly subfamily-plant order Pierinae-Capparales. Current projects include examining ecological trajectories and assessing potential for natural selection in a conservation context, using mtDNA sequences to construct phylogenies of the butterflies, and investigating how these insects respond to and metabolize glucosinolates that are characteristic chemicals in the Capparales. In addition to research in biology, Chew has served as Director of the American Studies Program at Tufts. From that interdisciplinary perspective, she examines intersections between history of biology and dance history (in a course co-taught with Drama/Dance professor Alice Trexler) and how stereotypes about race are represented historically and reinscribed repeatedly in contemporary research in biology, medicine, and genetics. Chew also teaches classes in peer counseling and leads workshops for peer counselors of Chinese and Asian heritage and their allies of all races.