About
I am a neurogeneticist who is broadly interested in the how and why natural behaviors exists. I am particularly interested in the biology of fear and how this trait can drive behavioral and physiological adaptations to protect oneself or their offspring from the threat of danger. My work uses the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, and its natural threats of parasitoid wasps and predatory ants. My lab aims to uncover the genetic and neuronal basis of threat detection and the range of phenotypic responses, including altered larval cuticular characteristics and adult oviposition behaviors.