Linking micro- and macroevolution
About me
I am a biologist with a broad interest in the evolutionary drivers of phenotypic variation, species richness, and community assembly. I am particularly intrigued by the long-term evolutionary consequences of ecological and population-level processes. Besides research, I am passionate about bringing evolutionary biology and natural history closer to the public. To do this, I use a variety of tools such as art, blogging, talks, and interviews. Furthermore, teaching and mentoring are central components of my academic life. I have some experience doing both and I am continuously taking advantage of training opportunities to become a better educator.
I am currently a postdoctoral scholar working on salamander phylogenomics with David Weisrock at the University of Kentucky. I was previously a postdoc with Christopher Blair at the City University of New York, where I worked on the phylogeography of North American phrynosomatid lizards. I completed my PhD in Scott Keogh's lab at the Australian National University. My doctoral research focused on the biogeography, evolution, and systematics of monitor lizards (Varanus). I obtained my master's and bachelor's degrees at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , under the supervision of Adrián Nieto Montes de Oca. For my master's I implemented an integrative approach to evaluate species limits within the Short-nosed Skink Plestiodon brevirostris. My bachelor's thesis focused on the taxonomic status of a population of earth snakes (genus Geophis).
