RESEARCH INTERESTS: Hominin paleoecology, paleoclimates, paleomonsoons, organic geochemistry (biomarkers), isotopic geochemistry, sedimentology and stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, terrestrial ecology, geoarchaeology.

From a methodological perspective, I am most interested in the reconstruction of paleoclimates, vegetation regimes and ancient monsoons through the analysis of organic molecules and isotopes. I have direct experience with the analysis of leaf wax isotopes (n-alkanes), branched GDGT paleothermometry, and soil carbonates.

I also have extensive field experience working on loess-paleosol sequences and terrestrial stratigraphic correlations as a means to examine monsoonal variability in north-central China.

From a theoretical perspective, I am interested in how climatic variability affects human and biological evolution, ecological patterns and the development of adaptive technologies.