Historical biogeography increasingly depends on probabilistic phylogenetic models to reconstruct where ancestral species once lived. Standard approaches, however, rely almost solely on information about the present to reconstruct the past. More complex phylogenetic models that integrate paleogeographical, paleoenvironmental, and paleontological data promise to improve historical evolutionary inferences.

Timing is crucial to the nervous system; the ability to rapidly detect and process subtle disturbances in the environment determines whether an animal can attain its next meal or successfully navigate complex, unpredictable terrain.

Birds evolved about 150 million years ago, and today they are the most diverse and colorful land vertebrates. In my group, we are fascinated by the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive this variation. Much of our work investigates coloration and vision in birds. A fundamental challenge is that birds see differently from humans: they have tetrachromatic vision (four color cone-types) and ultraviolet sensitivity. To estimate a “bird’s-eye view,” we combine advanced imaging techniques with new computational methods.

The dynamic interplay between virulence factors of a pathogen and the immune system of a host determines whether disease will occur. A deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie host-pathogen arms race is essential for developing durable resistance. Pathogens have evolved a large and diverse complement of virulence proteins, called effectors, which, collectively, are indispensable for disease development. An important feature of effectors is their fast evolution driven by adaptation towards a host.