Hi! I am Alejo and I am a biologist interested in the evolution of unique characteristics. In particular, I am passionate about understanding how evolution is involved in the way genes are tuned. I have studied the genomes of humans and other apes, sea urchins, voles, and beetles like the coffee berry borer.

I think we are the result of our genomes and their interaction with the environment. So, I use computers and mathematical models to identify the regions of a genome that are particularly different from what should be expected based upon their ancestors, and what genes are being tuned differently. Together, this data helps me identify the most important genetic switches and tuners of the genome. For example, I found many regulatory elements (tuners) in the human genome that explain why our brains, skin and fatty cells are different from other apes.

I love to think about our genomes as if they were the music sheet that a musician (environment) plays to execute a song (us). Therefore, my work seeks to identify the subtle changes (mutations) that the musician makes while performing an instrument, making each interpretation novel, different and amazing.