My Research

My research aims to understand how plants and tropical ecosystems have changed through geologic time. I study the plant fossil record and use observational and experimental approaches on plant function to better understand the paleobiology and evolution of tropical rainforests.

Paleobotany and the Evolution of modern tropical rainforests

When did modern rainforests originate? How has their ecology changed through time?

Leaf functional morphology and Phloem hydraulics

How do leaf venation patterns affect sugar transport capacity?

Plant biology under current and past climate change

How can we interpret past geochemical signatures and fossil plant morphology in terms of plant physiology and functions?

Fossil leaf damage and plant-insect interactions

How does leaf damage reflect on insect communities in past and modern rainforests?