Research

Tandem Repeat evolution

Tandem repeats (TRs) are highly mutable repetitive DNA sequences that can influence gene regulation, gene function, and disease-related phenotypes. Historically, they have been difficult to study due to technological limitations, but advances in high-fidelity long-read whole-genome sequencing and analytical tools now allow the characterization of TR variation across genomes.

In my postdoc work, I study the evolution of TRs in primate genomes, focusing on humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos. Using long-read sequencing data within and between species, we test evolutionary hypotheses about how TR variation drives primate adaptation. This includes how archaic introgression may have introduced adaptive TR alleles into modern human populations.

Phylogenetics of marine organisms

Coral reefs and coastal systems are among the most threatened marine ecosystems, and understanding the taxonomy, population structure, and evolutionary history of their constituent species is essential for conservation. This has motivated my interest in phylogenography, phylogenetics, and species delimitation in marine organisms, with a focus on how genetic diversity is structured across spatial scales.

During my PhD, I worked with reef-building corals, particularly understudied species from Brazilian reefs, using next-generation sequencing to perform species delimitation and investigate their population structure. In parallel, I leveraged single-locus data to investigate the population structure and genetic diversity of semi-terrestrial decapod crustaceans from Brazil and Caribbean coastal and mangrove ecosystems.