▁as ▁an ▁Ass istant , ▁Associ ate ▁and ▁Full ▁Professor ▁at ▁C lem son ▁University , ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁Ful br ight ▁Fellow ▁in ▁Can ber ra , ▁Australia , ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁ ▁Senior ▁L ect urer ▁at ▁the ▁ ▁University ▁of ▁Melbourne , ▁Australia , ▁until ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Director ▁and ▁Scient ific ▁Member ▁at ▁the ▁Max ▁Plan ck ▁Institute ▁for ▁Chem ical ▁E col ogy ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Ent om ology . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁Honor ary ▁Professor ▁at ▁Friedrich ▁Sch iller ▁University ▁in ▁J ena , ▁Germany . ▁ ▁He ck el ▁studies ▁the ▁adapt ations ▁and ▁mechan isms ▁by ▁which ▁her b iv orous ▁insect s ▁find ▁and ▁explo it ▁their ▁host ▁plants . ▁He ▁expl ores ▁how ▁these ▁adapt ations ▁interact ▁with ▁other ▁str esses ▁encountered ▁in ▁the ▁environment . ▁A ▁major ▁strategy ▁in ▁his ▁research ▁is ▁to ▁util ize ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁gen etic ▁variation ▁existing ▁between ▁populations , ▁races , ▁or ▁species ; ▁and ▁by ▁mapping ▁the ▁gen es ▁and ▁evalu ating ▁candidates ▁to ▁identify ▁the ▁mechan isms ▁involved . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁uses ▁this ▁approach ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁gen etic ▁and ▁phys i ological ▁mechan isms ▁by ▁which ▁insect s ▁evol ve ▁resistance ▁to ▁chemical ▁and ▁bi ological ▁insect ides , ▁especially ▁Cry ▁to