In my research, I am integrating studies of physiology, behavior, ecology, and natural history of vertebrates with the ultimate goal of understanding the ecological and evolutionary patterns of their diversity. In particular, I have selected bats (Chiroptera) for the focus of my research. Among terrestrial vertebrates, bats are especially well-suited because they are distributed worldwide, highly speciose, and unsurpassed in ecological diversity among mammals. These characteristics are best manifested in tropical forests, where more than 100 species may coexist, and where bats have evolved a wide range of foraging strategies and diets. There, bats play indispensable roles by dispersing large quantities of seeds, pollinating flowers, and controlling insect populations.

Currently, my research is divided into four main areas: (1) case studies of bat species interacting with other organisms, (2)    comparisons of behavior, physiology, and ecology of sympatric bat species, (3) comparative community studies, and (4) museum studies on taxonomy and systematics of bats.

In collaborative work, I am conducting field-based research in Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Ivory coast and Europe to describe and compare individual bat species and bat communities by combining both "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches. Recent advances of observational technologies permit investigation of bat behavior that previously could not be addressed. I employ a mix of classical techniques (i. e., mistnetting) and novel technologies (i.e., miniature transmitters; transponders; ultrasound recording and analysis, infra-red filming) and apply them to both experimental and observational studies with the goal to link physiological characteristics of bats (design of echolocation calls, wing shape) with behavior (foraging strategy, habitat use, flight, social interactions) and to conduct comprehensive community inventories. Standardized protocols allow direct comparisons across sites.

The "bottom-up" approach endeavors to understand ecological and evolutionary patterns in bat communities by building on case studies of individual species and using those studies to make interspecific comparisons. Representative species are examined to see how bats are linked to critical resources such as food, roost sites, and habitats. Specifically, I am interested to find out how the bat’s use of its sensory systems (sound, smell, sight, touch) is coupled with differences in foraging strategies, diet, habitat choice, and morphology (i.e., wing shape) to affect its ability to exploit resources.

In the "top-down" approach I am comparing species assemblages of bats from different sites to identify biotic and abiotic factors that promote diversity and shape community composition of bats on local, regional, and ultimately global scales. Through its long history of bat research, our study site Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama has become the site with best-characterized tropical bat community worldwide. I am particularly interested in monitoring long-term dynamics in selected communities.

Finally, by reaching out into a diverse range of model organisms and taxa, my research tries to amalgamate insights from a  range of biodiversity studies and model systems to better understand large-scale mechanisms of maintainance of biological diversity in eoclogical communities in both space and time.