Our research is situated at the interface between ecology and evolution and falls into the following categories:

• conceptual work on metapopulation, metacommunity, metafoodweb and species range dynamics
• eco-evolutionary feedbacks in spatially structured populations and communities
• species interactions and their impact on evolutionary trajectories and ecological dynamics
  
• context-dependent and informed movement and dispersal decisions in structured landscapes
  

We are especially interested in the interaction of dispersal with other life-history traits through trade-offs as this modulates the evolutionary trajectories of the traits under study. Furthermore, the use of information during all three phases of dispersal – emigration, transition and immigration – is a fascinating topic and in need of a lot more research, since probably the vast majority of species do not rely on chance during movement and dispersal. This aspect is especially relevant in the context of species interactions and complexly structured landscapes.

The majority of our work is theoretical or laboratory-based. We combine conceptual mathematical models, individual-based simulations and experimental evolution in micro- and mesocosms. We use spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) and protists (e.g. Tetrahymena thermophila) as model organisms.