Welcome! Thank you for your interest in my work.

My research work is interdisciplinary, bringing together entomology, chemical ecology, eco-immunology, insect behavior, and biological control. I am interested in the intricacies of trophic interactions involving plants, herbivorous insects, and their natural enemies, like parasitoids and pathogens. One central question that motivates my work is whether the characteristics of herbivores are mainly influenced by the quality of their food source (including plant defense compounds, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) or by the activities of their consumers (such as parasitoids and pathogens). My research has three primary components: Eco-immunology and the evolution of dietary preferences in insect herbivores. The allocation of resources, the physiological condition of herbivores, their defense mechanisms against parasitoids, and the trade-offs involved. I employ a combination of field and laboratory experiments, utilizing ecological, physiological, behavioral, and analytical techniques to understand these interactions.

In addition to this, I am lucky to be able to work with Prof. Ruth Hufbauer on the conservation and management of small, declining populations of threatened species, with a particular emphasis on genetic translocations as a means of preventing species extinction and, ensuring their long-term survival and adaptability in changing ecosystems.