Research overview
My research integrates behavioral ecology with evolutionary genomics to understand how behavior, phenotype and genotype interact to shape divergence in natural populations. I combine extensive fieldwork, labwork, and bioinformatics to study speciation from multiple angles mostly using birds as a study system.

Spectral data and color evolution

I use spectrophotometry and visual modeling to quantify plumage color the way birds see it. By linking spectral data to biochemical properties and genomic variation, I investigate how color signals evolve, how they function in communication, and how they contribute to reproductive isolation.

Leveraging pangenomes to understand the role of structural variation in shaping phenotypes

I use pangenomic approaches to characterize the genomic architecture of colorful traits, focusing on how structural variants shape phenotypic divergence. By mapping genome-wide variation across individuals and assemblies, I investigate how gene content and expression, rearrangements, and SVs contribute to trait evolution.

Replicate avian hybrid zones to evaluate the predictability and progression of evolution

My work leverages replicate hybrid zones in the Andes of Colombia, to study the role of ecology, selection and geneflow in reproductive isolation. By comparing multiple indpendent hybrid zones between the same taxa, we were able to test whether the outcomes of interbreeding can be predictable and how geneflow patterns change over time. 

Behavioral ecology and sexual selection

Through behavioral experiments, I test how male aggressive responses to visual signals from potential rivals vary across phenotypes. These experiments help reveal the role of behavior in maintaining species boundaries and mediating competitive interactions in hybrid zone.

Territoriality and breeding biology of Neotropical birds

By integrating long-term field observations with environmental data, I explore how timing, space use, and resource dynamics influence reproductive strategies in montane ecosystems.