I am interested in eco-physiological adaptations of insects to thermally stressful environments and the consequences those adaptations have on community structure.
My previous work was based in Panama, where I tested desiccation resistance and thermal tolerance of canopy and litter ants. I continued my tropical research during a post-doc at University of Louisville where I focused on behavioral adaptations of canopy ants to heat stress, and the effect of long-term soil warming on litter ants.
Currently, I am using a natural thermal gradient in the Swiss Alps to explore the potential for thermal plasticity in ant communities along different elevations. I will use relevant functional traits and combine lab and field experiments to quantify the adaptation potential of Swiss mountain ants to global warming.
2019 – present
Post-doctoral researcher
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Advisor: Prof. Cleo Bertelsmeier
2017 – 2019:
Post-doctoral researcher
Biology Department, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Advisor: Prof. Steve Yanoviak
2011 – 2017:
Ph.D.
Biology Department, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, USA
Dissertation Title: “The role of biogeochemistry and climate in a Neotropical ant community”
Advisor: Prof. Mike Kaspari
2004 – 2009:
BA & M.Ed.
Biology and Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Thesis Title: “Ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in Croatian peat bogs”
