I am interested in evolutionary biology, in particular speciation and developmental biology. During my PhD I will study the genetics behind diverse colour patterns in tropical butterflies (Melinaea and Mechanitis). I will look into the genes and genetic mechanisms that are involved in creating certain colour patterns, and how those differ between species. A better understanding of the genetic architecture causing phenotypic differences between organisms can aid our understanding of the evolutionary processes that give rise to the huge diversity of organisms found in nature.