I study evolutionary processes such as speciation, adaptation and hybridisation and their ecological consequences in natural populations. I am particularly interested in how rapid evolutionary change impacts ecological interactions – such as those between hosts and their microbiomes – and how the interconnection of these processes generates and maintains biodiversity. I use methods spanning evolutionary genomics, experimental ecology, metagenomics and spatial ecology to investigate these questions. I also develop new computational methods, including software for hypothesis testing in spatial ecology and bioinformatics.

My background is in plant science, but my research has broadened to encompass fungal (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi, fungal pathogens), animal (amphibians, fish, birds, insects) and microbial systems (host-associated microbiomes, rhizosphere interactions). Ultimately, I am interested in any system suited to answering fundamental questions in ecology and evolution.