ORCID
My work asks how ecological divergence leads to adaptation in the sensory systems between closely related species, and how this translates into behavioural diversity.
Working primarily with Heliconius butterflies — a model system for mimicry, speciation, and neuroethology — I combine behavioural experiments, neuroanatomy, and field ecology across Colombia and Ecuador. My PhD thesis investigates sensory system adaptations during species divergence in Heliconius butterflies.
Sensory ecology & UV perception
How is sexually dimorphic UV-opsin expression associated with female-specific behaviours such as oviposition?
Sensory weighting & neural investment
How do shifts in relative neural investment in visual brain regions translate into functional differences in sensory performance?
Sensory system adaptation and development
How do divergent environments drive co-evolution of sensory systems? How is this mediated by development? How does this contribute to reproductive isolation?
Pollen foraging & sexual dimorphism
Exploring sex-specific foraging ecology and sexually dimorphic sensory traits.
Sexual dimorphism in pollen foraging and sensory traits in Heliconius butterflies
Behavioral Ecology, 37(3), arag014
Biology Letters, 20(10), 20240377
Research in the
Neotropics
My fieldwork has taken me to the diverse landscapes of Colombia and Ecuador, where I study the behaviour of Heliconius butterflies.
Work in the field involves mark-recapture surveys, behavioural observations, pollen metabarcoding, and maintaining living butterfly stocks at local research stations.
- Ecuador Vilcabamba, Loja Province — pollen foraging surveys, marking & recapture, metabarcoding
- Colombia Experimental Station José Celestino Mutis, Cundinamarca; Valle del Cauca — behavioural experiments; field collection
- Ecuador Tena, Napo Province — oviposition behaviour, field collections
Education
PhD candidate — LMU Munich
Sensory and behavioural divergence during ecological speciation in Heliconius. Advisor: Prof. Dr. Richard Merrill
M.Sc. Evolution, Ecology & Systematics — LMU Munich
Thesis: UV discrimination and visual adaptation in Heliconius
B.Sc. Biology — University of Bayreuth
Thesis: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of zebrafish pitx1
Awards
Biology Letters ECR Competition Winner
£1,000 prize for best paper by an early-career researcher
LSM Travel Fund — ESEB 2025 Barcelona
Life Science Munich Graduate School (€250)
LSM Travel Fund — Joint Congress Evolutionary Biology
Life Science Munich Graduate School (€400), Montreal
Full CV available on request, or view it on Google Drive
View full CV →Get in touch
Whether you're interested in collaboration, have questions about my work, or are curious about Heliconius — I'm happy to hear from you.