Damian works in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University as an ARC Australian Research Fellow, Monash Fellow

Damian's research interests lie in evolutionary biology. The questions that his research group pursue follow three interconnected themes.

1. Mitochondrial genome evolution What genetic processes shape the accumulation of functional genetic variation in the mitochondrial DNA? What are the consequences of maternal transmission of the mitochondrial DNA for male life-histories?
2. Oxidative stress and life history evolution. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a ubiquitous bi-product of many core enzymmatic pathways, for instance those involved in energy production and immune defense. When ROS are in surplus, cells are at risk of oxidative damage. We are intereated in teasing apart the influence of oxidative stress on the general dynamics of life history evolution, including adaptation under sexual selection.
3. Sexually antagonistic coevolution. We are generally interested in exploring the dynamics of adaptation under sexual conflict.