Insect Chemical and Evolutionary Ecology

I’m an Assistant Professor of Chemical Ecology in the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

I am interested in how intra- and inter-specific species communication shapes evolutionary processes. My areas of study are the evolution of mating communication systems in response to reproductive interference and the role of chemical and visual signals in aposematic insect populations. I am particularly interested in cases when communication breaks down, and what these “mistakes” can tell us about selection pressures acting on system.

From 2014 to 2018 I was a Postdoctoral Researcher working on variation in chemical protection in the wood tiger moth at the University of Jyväskylä.

Between 2017 and 2018 I was an Endeavour Research Fellow at the University of Macquarie working on colour variation and population genetics in the Hibiscus Harlequin Bug (Tectocoris diophthalmus).

My PhD was in behavioural ecology and sexual selection at the University of St. Andrews. To view my CV click here.