My research integrates two methodologies, formal modeling and consultant-based fieldwork. I use modern type theories, such as the Calculus of Constructions, to model lexical form-meaning relationships in inflectional and derivational morphology. In consultant-based fieldwork the native speaker and researcher collaborate in investigating linguistic questions. Fieldwork provides evidence for the elaboration of the formal model. The formal model makes testable predictions concerning the language of the consultant.

I have worked with languages in the Algonquian and Quechuan families. Recently I have begun to focus on Wao Tededo, a linguistic isolate of the Ecuadorian Amazon. I have also had a long involvement with the digital humanities, contributing technical skills to a number of documentation projects that have resulted in valuable resources for both researchers and the communities involved.