I am studying the evolutionary genetics of ants and my research integrates evolutionary biology, genetics, taxonomy, and natural history studies. Currently, I am most interested in understanding how social parasitism evolved and how this change in social organization contributes to speciation. To explore this question, I am combining molecular phylogenetic, population genetic and genomic approaches. An integral part of my research is fieldwork and in depth natural history studies, which often lead to new discoveries that are further explored in the laboratory.
