Career summary:

I am Assistant Professor Molecular Systematics at the Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Before that I was a postdoc from 2000 - 2002 at the same group. From 1995 - 2000 I was a postdoc at the Dept. of Botany, The University of Reading, UK. I did my PhD in 1995 at the dept. of Marine Biology, University of Groningen, NL

My research interest is in (molecular) evolution, especially in the South African Cape genus Pelargonium (Geraniaceae), known for its elevated rates of organelle genome evolution. I estimate phylogenetic relationships within the Pelargonium clade and use these to study genome evolution, floral evolutionary trends as well as how cytonuclear incompatabilities come about.

In addition, I have an active interest in theoretical aspects of phylogeny and network reconstruction, assessing positive selection, DNA barcoding and the evolution of plant organellar DNA. I am exploring how next generation sequencing data can be used in herbarium genomics, using specimens of up to 140+ years old, especially for use in plastome sequence based phylogenetics.

FP7 EU SYNTHESYS 2

Joint Research Activity 4: Herbarium genomics

www.synthesys.info

Dimensions in Biodiversity (NSF): Parallel evolutionary radiations in Protea and Pelargonium in the greater Cape Floristic Region.

http://darwin.eeb.uconn.edu/wiki/index.php/Parallel_Evolutionary_radiations_in_Protea_and_Pelargonium_in_the_Greater_Cape_Floristic_Region