I am an Evolutionary Biologist. I study how biological diversity is generated and the mechanisms that promote repeated adaptations. To document and describe biodiversity, I aim to identify genomic regions linked to unique and reappearing traits. Mammals, especially bats, are my model system, and I also collaborate on projects to address evolutionary questions from a genomic and morphometric perspective in other remarkable organisms.
cations for disease resistance and human health.
In this website you will find information about my research interests, projects and academic background.
Highlights – Manuscripts you should check out
Bat adaptations to viral tolerance and disease resistance
Nature, 2025, doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08471-0 (Featured News & Views)
(Photo credit: MerlinTuttle.org)
Bat pluripotent stem cells reveal unusual entanglement between host and viruses
Diversification and Convergent Evolution of Myotis bats
Morphometric and genetic variation of the free-tailed bat
Journal of Biogeography, 2018, 45:1529–1540.
(Photo credit: MerlinTuttle.org)
- February 2025: Talk at Verena Consortium.
- January 2025:
- Nature paper online! 🎉 “Bat genomes illuminate adaptations to viral tolerance and disease resistance.” 🦇🧬🦠
- Bonjour France! I am happy to join the University of Montpellier and ISEM and to collaborate at the Sadier Lab.
- December 2024: Good bye (auf Wiedersehen) Germany and Hiller Lab.
- November 2024: Paper accepted for publication in Nature !!! 🎉🎉🎉 (link to publication will be added soon-ish)
- October 2024:
- Talk at the symposium “Liberating, linking, and leveraging bat data for research and conservation” at NASBR in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Flash talk about our flagship paper at Bat1K Symposium at NASBR – Info and discussions on how to use >100 bat genomes.
- Paper featured on the cover of MBE.
- September 2024:
- Talk & poster at 16th European Bat Research Symposium, EBRS24, Tarragon, Spain.
- Co-hosting Bat1K Symposium at EBRS24 – Info and discussions on how to use >100 bat genomes.
- Seminar at ISEM, Montpellier, France.
- August 2024: Paper on the genomic basis of convergent evolution of Myotis bat ecomorphs out in MBE! 😉
- July 2024: Our symposium “Convergent Evolution in Natural Experiments” was a success, and we had amazing guests! Watch the recordings here & here (YouTube channel from the 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology in Montreal, Canada)
- May 2024: GBatNet meeting in Houston, USA – representing BigBatDB working group.
- April 2024: Bat immunity ms resubmitted (preprint not updated yet).
- March 2024:
- Talk at Uni Trier, Germany.
- Talk at AMNH (American Museum of Natural History) in NYC, USA.
- Convergent evolution ms resubmitted!
- November 2023: Symposium proposal accepted for the 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology in Montreal, Canada – Watch out for “Convergent Evolution in Natural Experiments“
- September 2023: Talk & poster at EMBO Evolution of Animal Genomes, Sevilla, Spain.
- September 2023: Grant awarded by Goethe Uni!
- July 2023: Poster at SMBE Ferrara, Italy.
- June 2023: Talk at Senckenberg Biodiversity Genomics Symposium, online.