I am a biologist interested in biodiversity, biogeography, phylogenetics and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. My research integrates a broad range of techniques, including fieldwork, taxonomy, and molecular systematics, to interpret patterns of speciation and diversity. I am particularly interested in the phylogenetic diversification of African amphibians and use of molecular tools to define species boundaries. Most of my work to date has been involved in investigating two widespread frog families, puddle frogs (Phrynobatrachidae) and grass frogs (Ptychadenidae), to understand the complex diversification patterns of these lineages across sub-Saharan Africa.
I am passionate about natural history collections, and I currently manage the Cryogenic Collections Manager for Genetic Resources at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. This new type of museum collection has become an integral part of traditional natural history collections as most modern taxonomic studies include analyses of molecular data.
I am also a lecturer and laboratory instructor for Human Functional Anatomy (HST-010), a class that is part of the Harvard-MIT Health Science curriculum and taught at Harvard Medical School. I attempt to give future physicians and researchers a comparative perspective of anatomy that integrates development and phylogeny.