About me

I am a biologist interested in the evolutionary processes, ecological parameters and neural mechanisms that shape animal behavior.

I’m a Postdoctoral Fellow with Gilles Laurent at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, where I study the prey capture behavior of the Australian bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps). My goal is to understand the evolution and resilience of the amniote brain in the face of environmental challenges, focusing on temperature.

I received my PhD under the supervision of Hopi Hoekstra at Harvard University. I discovered that two closely related but ecologically distinct deer mouse species (genus Peromyscus) have different thresholds to escape from visual threat, and traced this behavioral difference to a brain region involved in decision making. This work was a collaborative effort with Katja Reinhard and the Farrow Lab.

Prior to that, I obtained a Master’s degree from Columbia University and was a research assistant in the lab of Leslie Vosshall at Rockefeller University. There I worked with Lindy McBride to uncover the molecular basis and evolution of mosquito biting preference for humans.

I am passionate about field work. I spent a lot of time in Cyprus, studying the natural history of the local reptiles and amphibians. In 2009, I published a book on this topic with co-authors David J. Sparrow and Hans-Jörg Wiedl. I also helped discover a new species of water frog endemic to the island (Pelophylax cypriensis).