Birds combine an exceptionally rapid early radiation with remarkable ecological and morphological diversity. My research uses comparative genomics and phylogenomics to understand how that diversity emerged.
Phylogenomics
Avian radiation and speciation
I investigate the genomic processes behind difficult and rapid divergences in the bird tree of life. This includes separating biological signal from incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, recombination and methodological artefacts.
The broader goal is to connect phylogenetic history with the tempo and mechanisms of speciation.
Genome evolution
Transposable elements and endogenous retroviruses
Transposable elements are not only genomic fossils. Their expansion, removal and regulatory effects can alter genome architecture and contribute to evolutionary novelty.
My work examines ERVK-derived solo-LTR expansion in passerine birds and its association with speciation and lineage diversification.
Comparative genomics
Genomic foundations of bird diversity
Through large comparative datasets, including the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project, I study genome structure, selection and evolutionary change across the avian radiation.
This work benefits from dense taxonomic sampling and close integration between genomic data, natural history and evolutionary theory.
Selected work
Research through recent papers
Representative work on avian radiation, endogenous retrovirus evolution and regional bird genome resources.
Phylogenomics and comparative genomic perspective on the avian radiation
Adaptive expansion of ERVK solo-LTRs is associated with Passeriformes speciation events
A comprehensive reference genome assembly dataset of birds inhabiting Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands
Research context
Collaborative, comparative and organism-centred
B10K
Contributing to the Family and Genus phases of the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project.
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Postdoctoral research at the Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University.
Visit CEOB →Open collaboration
Interested in phylogenomics, comparative genomics and transposable-element evolution.
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