​​The main focus of my research interest is in the field of evolutionary developmental biology. This field of biology compares the developmental processes of organisms in an attempt to determine their ancestral relationship and how developmental processes evolve(d) on the molecular level.

Throughout my PhD and subsequent Postdoc at the University of Cologne I studied the evolution of promoters and gene regulatory networks controlling the segmentation process in the beetle Tribolium castaneum and other arthropods. During this period, I developed a strong interest in methodology and acquired my expertise in a broad range of molecular biological tools including different gene silencing techniques, methods for the detection and visualization of gene expression (ISH, FISH, IHC, etc.), cloning of promoter constructs and the generation of GMO’s for comparative expression analysis.

My current work focuses on the development, establishment and adaptation of molecular biological tools for coral research.​