Systematics and Taxonomy of Bombyliidae:
As diverse as the biological world is, a large portion of species remain undiscovered and undescribed. As a biologist I am interested in discovering and describing this life before it is lost. Combining fieldwork, museum specimens and molecular phylogenetic methods I aim to understand the evolutionary history, phylogeography and systematics of bee flies. Current projects are aimed at developing a phylogenomic hypotheses for the Bombyliidae. I am also working on revising a few bee fly genera using a combination of species delimitation and integrative taxonomy.
Microbial Communities of Bombyliidae:
A growing interest in the field of evolutionary biology has been the study of host-associated microorganisms. Studies have shown that these microbial communities can influence a host’s behavior, digestion, development and even speciation. Current projects are aimed at understanding how bacterial communities influence host selection and diversification within bee flies.
