The uneven distribution of species on Earth is a fascinating aspect of our planet that has attracted attention from biologists for centuries. Species richness spikes at the equators and decreases as you move poleward; the flora and fauna of South-eastern North America is surprisingly similar to that of Eastern Asia; closely related bird species all evolved flightless-ness across the globe.

These patterns of biogeography and the processes that gave rise to them, especially for wide ranging species, are the most fascinating questions to explore for me. 

My research examines population genetics and ecophysiology in a widespread fern species, Onoclea sensibilis, to uncover processes enabling broad geographic ranges, complemented by phylogenetic comparative methods to reveal large-scale patterns of fern range sizes.

Feel free to explore my research in more depth or dig into my research philosophies below.