Honours supervisors: Prof L Beheregaray, Dr C Brauer and Dr J Sandoval-Castillo
I am originally from Romania but grew up in Thailand studying at an international school with people of diverse backgrounds. My strong passion for biology and ecology has been with me since young, stemming from a fascination of the natural world around me and a willingness to see the beauty in it. I completed my Bachelor of Arts & Science, majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Screen & Media at Flinders University in 2019. As soon as I began volunteering at the MELFU during my final year of studies, I became interested in how genomics was being effectively integrated in projects to conserve native species and ecosystems.
My Honours project focuses on investigating the relationship between introgression and body shape in Atherton Tablelands rainbowfishes. I aim to use whole-genome sequencing data to quantify variation in genome-wide introgression and geometric morphometrics to characterise body shape variation; finally, combining these datasets to test their relationship. This exciting work is a first step into identifying body shape as a potentially adaptive trait, complementary to our current ARC Discovery Project on climate change evolution. It would also inform threatened species management, especially for maintaining genetically healthy populations in natural hybrid zones that can respond to increasing environmental pressures faced today.
Currently, through my lab work, I assist with generating genomic datasets that are being used for research projects of Postdoctoral Research Fellows and research students. I also assist with maintaining databases and restocking lab supplies.
