A central goal in ecology is to unravel the mechanisms behind the organization of natural communities. While species are the building blocks of ecological communities, the way in which these species interact is the glue that binds them together. Given that the world is currently undergoing a major biodiversity crisis, it is now---more than ever---imperative to understand how changes in both diversity and species interactions affect the persistence, robustness, and stability of the remaining community. My research aims to fill some of these gaps.  I am currently a PhD candidate in Paulo Guimarães' lab at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.  In my doctoral research I am studying the ecological consequences of cascading effects in mutualistic networks.  To explore this broad topic, I use tools from network  theory with natural history.  I will join the Ponisio Lab in November as a Post Doc. 


This  research is being conducted primarily in Guimarães' lab and additional work was conducted in the labs of Jason Tylianakis and Daniel B. Stouffer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Fellowship: FAPESP