I am an evolutionary geneticist, studying the relationship between the genomic and functional machinery of life, the nature and origin of variation that is produced by altering the genome, and the process of adaptation at the phenotypic level. My favorite questions include:

In my lab, we use Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, as an experimental organism. Flies are wonderful for evolutionary studies because they have interesting and complex adaptations and behaviors, yet are easily and rapidly reared. The major experimental project studies the relationship between development and variation using the wing of Drosophila as a model.

What do we actually do with flies?

Potential Graduate Students

I am looking for students who are interested in addressing fundamental questions about evolution. While we are most active in studying evo-devo in the fly wing, recent projects in the lab include

The graduate group in Ecology and Evolution at Florida State is large, active and interactive. The faculty in biology at Florida State complements my interests well, and offers the opportunity for a thorough grounding in evolutionary, population and conservation biology.

Undergraduate Research

Each semester I have several undergraduates work in the lab doing either independent research projects, or working for pay. If you are interested in research, see the Education page for more details.