In my group, we focus on fundamental evolutionary processes leading to plant adaptation and speciation that have shaped the extraordinary diversity we find in plants. In the centre of our attention is polyploidisation (whole genome duplication), a major-effect mutation acting as a primary trigger of sympatric speciation in plants. We aim to elucidate the key evolutionary mechanisms operating at various stages of polyploid speciation, which are important for the potential evolutionary success of polyploid lineages (e.g., origin and local establishment of polyploid mutants, adaptive potential of new traits in polyploids, inter-ploidy introgression).

Our research lies at the intersection of plant ecology, evolutionary biology and molecular genetics/genomics. It often involves extensive sampling of natural variation, taking advantage of non-model systems with convenient or unique properties (e.g. in Butomus, Knautia, Tripleurospermum), and supplementing field observations with ex situ experiments, controlled crosses, flow cytometry, and molecular genetic/genomic approaches.