Research
I study evolution using mathematical models, ideas from statistical physics, and computer simulations.
Adaptation on fitness landscapes
A mutation's effect depends on the genetic background in which it occurs. I study how interactions between genes shape adaptation, and how adaptation itself changes the effects of future mutations.
My current work examines how selection changes the relative contributions of individual genes and their interactions to fitness. Can populations that reach similar fitness through different evolutionary paths differ in their response to new mutations, and in their ability to adapt further?
More broadly, I'm interested in how mutation bias and competition between evolving lineages shape the pace and predictability of adaptation.
Evolution in changing environments
Environmental fluctuations change both the conditions populations experience and the strength of chance events. My work examines how these fluctuations interact with population size and spatial structure to influence coexistence, fixation and extinction.
With Mauro Mobilia and collaborators, I have studied these questions in models of microbial competition and cooperative antimicrobial resistance.