Research of my team focuses on sexual selection, its evolutionary-genetic background and implications for conservation. I’m interested in developing strong tests of good genes models of sexual selection, which requires understanding mechanisms maintaining genetic variance for fitness. Mutations and genes interacting with parasites, such as MHC genes, are important sources of genetic variation, therefore I study their role in sexual selection. I also investigate the role of sexual selection and MHC genes in biological conservation.
Our current projects include:
The role of MHC in mate choice in brown bear (with Jon Swennson, Pierre Taberlet and Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project team)
The impact of deleterious mutations and inbreeding on expression of sexually selected eye-stalks in the fly Teleopsis dalmani (with Andrew Pomiankowski, UCL London)
The role of MHC in mate choice and conservation the ornate dragon Ctenophorus ornatus (with Natasha LeBas, University of Western Australia)
MHC, parasite load an immune response in the collared flycacher (with Mariusz Cichon and Magda Zagalska-Neubauer)
The role of sexual selection in removing deleterious mutations from populations of the bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini (Acari: Acaridae)