My research focuses on the genetic and environmental factors that govern inflorescence development, particularly with respect to the rice panicle and to sex determination in the dioecious palm genus Chamaedorea. Genomic resources are being developed in collaboration with colleagues from DIADE and USAC (Guatemala) for the pacaya palm Chamaedorea tepejilote, a species domesticated in Central America, in order to study reproductive traits and the effects of domestication.