She received her PhD in Germany studying the evolution and development of head muscles in larval amphibians. This was followed by a postdoc in Netherlands and one in USA to further study vertebrates. Her research focuses on the evolution and development of the cardiopharyngeal field, a field that gives rise to head, neck, and heart musculature. Additionally, she aims to use the knowledge from her research to understand the pathology of congenital defects, which often affect both head and heart structures. She won several awards, including the ?American Association of Anatomists (AAA) and the Keith and Marion Moore Young Anatomist?s Publication Award? (YAPA). Furthermore, she single authored or co-authored more than 30 papers in top journals such as Nature, Biological Reviews, books, book chapters, and commentaries.