My research interests lie at the intersection of developmental biology, genetics/genomics and evolution. I am fascinated by the diversity of unique animal body plans, and how changes at the genetic/genomic level can explain morphological differences.
Currently my project focuses on understanding the mechanisms and evolution of cranial sensory ganglia (CSG) development in vertebrates by studying the Shox gene family. This gene family has the potential to shed light on the relationship between vertebrate CSG and invertebrate homologous cell populations, the evolution of vertebrate head sensory modalities, the regulation of neuron-type specification and potential causes of sensory processing disorders (including chronic pain syndromes).
