In my research I focus on the role of development in significant human and ape evolutionary transformations, such as changes in facial shape or limb length. Vertebrate development is highly conserved from fish to humans, which means that a wide range of model systems are informative for questions of primate evolution. Using a variety of experimental techniques and model species, my research addresses such basic questions as: what role does development play in structuring human skeletal variation, what genetic pathways contribute to differences in shape, and are the same pathways repeatedly involved in the evolution of similar traits in different primate species? My extensive background in both anthropology and developmental biology helps me to address these evolutionary questions from a truly unique perspective.