I am primarily interested in the environmental and genomic interactions that shape animal phenotypes. In January 2008, I started my postdoc at the University of Konstanz, in the laboratory of Professor Axel Meyer, and in June 2008 I was appointed a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Zukunftskolleg. My aim is to uncover the developmental basis of phenotypic novelty in cichlid jaws and teeth. Cichlid jaws display a high degree of novelty between closely related species, making them excellent models for studying the developmental basis of microevolutionary processes. Moreover, some species of cichlids display phenotypic plasticity in the structure of their jaws, based on diet. My research aims to define the features of cichlid jaws that enable the development of novelty both between and within species.
