I am an associate professor in evolutonary biology. My group studies the properties of genetic and epigenetic variation and what are the consequences to evolutionary adaptation. We use the methods of population and quantitative genetics, experimental evolution with microbes, genomics, and bioinformatics.
The activity of genes can be controlled by adding chemical groups to DNA and associated proteins. I study the significance of these epigenetic modifications as organisms adapt to environmental changes both in the short and long term. Currently we are investigating spontaneous epigenetic changes, and the consequences of chromatin organization to DNA repair and natural genetic variation. Furthermore, we are interested in the properties of genetic mutations, in particular how epistasis influences adaptation and formation of new species.
