Our research is aimed at understanding ​the ​development ​and evolution of the ​nervous system​. We focus on the visual system​ of insects, particularly at the level of how cell fates are specified. Changes to the number and types of neurons animals produce can be adaptive, allowing for expanded color vision in butterflies or providing more sensitive target detection for male flies that chase their mates. ​Through manipulation of a range of non-model organisms,​we are interested in how such changes are genetically encoded and how they influence the interconnected network of the nervous system.