My research is dealing with the evolution, systematics, and historical biogeography of plants as well as marker development for all sorts of organisms using DNA barcoding methods. My lab employs a wide array of molecular and bioinformatics techniques, including DNA extraction and sequencing, DNA alignment, phylogenetics, molecular fingerprint techniques, genetic mapping, ecophysiological methods, and morphological and anatomical techniques. Laboratory work is complemented by field studies and collection expeditions conducted in various places around the globe. Study objects currently are juniper trees and other Cupressaceae, diverse tropical mangrove plant groups, medicinal plants, Marcgraviaceae, Trichomonas vaginalis, sea cucumbers, and cholera bacteria. Results of my studies are used to reconstruct the origin and spread of plant species in time and to understand adaptive changes during speciation accompanied by occupation of new habitats. Phylogenetic, population and conservation genetics data are used for management of rare plant species. Another line of research is concerned with medicinal plants, especially those that are used in the Rio Grande Valley. We are also working on developing molecular markers to identify different species of medicinal plants based on small fragments of materials (e.g. ground plants in a tea bag or pill) using DNA barcoding methods or identifying strains of cholera bacteria in the environment or isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis from patient samples. Please look at the research page for more detail.

We recently got funded to establish a new genomics and bioinformatics lab. Stay tuned for any progress in this area. Website is under construction.

Undergraduate and graduate students (master degree in biology) who are interested in serious and time-consuming :) research are encouraged to contact me.