I am an evolutionary behavioral ecologist interested in studying the ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary processes that lead to the evolution of elaborate parental care behaviors and mating systems, particularly in frogs. Given the importance of frog calling behavior for species recognition and mate choice, I am also interested in using acoustic signals for integrative taxonomy and for studies aiming to understand the mechanisms driving species diversification in frogs.

I am using the guardian frog of Borneo (Limnonectes palavanensis) as a study system to elucidate ecological and behavioral factors leading to the evolution of sex-role reversal. The guardian frog of Borneo has elaborated parental care behaviors in the form of egg attendance and tadpole transport behavior and is one of only a handful of species in Southeast Asia with parental care behaviors. By characterizing various aspects of the reproductive biology and life history traits of this species, I am testing predictions of sexual selection theory and determining this species’ unique mating system. My research combines fieldwork, ecological, behavioral and bioacoustical approaches and, as such, is highly integrative.

Through collaborations with herpetological collections across the United States, I am actively involved in collection-based research studying variation in reproductive modes and acoustic behavior in other members of the genus Limnonectes.