BIO

I am an organismal biologist who focuses on the evolution of symbioses, phylogenomics, taxonomy, and biodiversity and conservation. Specifically, I study fungus-farming ants, which are known for their symbiotic relationships with various fungi, including those they cultivate for food and specialized ascomycete fungi that parasitize their cultivars. Additionally, these ants engage in a symbiosis with antibiotic-producing actinomycete bacteria that they use to control microbial parasites. By integrating traditional morphological techniques with modern genomic methods, field observations, and natural history data, I aim to investigate the evolutionary and biogeographic histories of fungus-farming ants and their associated symbionts. 

 

I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, where I am working on a project funded by an NSF Dimensions Grant. This project involves studying the multipartite fungus-farming ant symbiosis using genomics and chemical ecology, in collaboration with colleagues from institutions in the US and Brazil.