I received a Ph.D. in Biology from Arizona State University in 2009 and I am currently collaborating with the Natural History & Systematics Research Group of CE3C. I am based at the University of Basel, where I am a Visiting Scientist. My research focuses on the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the diversity of animals, and I use genomics tools, development, ecology and evolution to understand how different species arise, adapt and persist in the natural and changing world.
For many years I have been involved in evolutionary research using different fish groups as model systems. I started my work with Iberian freshwater fishes, nases and roaches of the genera Achondrostoma, Iberochondrostoma and Pseudochondrostoma, as well as barbels of the genera Barbus and Luciobarbus. I complemented these study systems with African cichlids, mostly Princess cichlids from Lake Tanganyika, genus Neolamprologus.
My current research is driven by three overarching objectives:
- Uncovering the genetic basis of different phenotypes,
- Understanding the impacts of genome architecture on speciation and adaptation, and
- Translating some of the basic knowledge we have been generating to practical conservation actions.