People

I am an evolutionary biologist trained in population and quantitative genetics. My research has a strong computational component. I develop the Nemo forward-time simulation software since my PhD. I more recently fell for experimental evolution and the little critter we use in the lab, Tribolium castaneum.

2005 Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
2005-2009 Postdoc in Whitlock's lab at UBC (SNSF funded), Vancouver, Canada.
2009-2013 Independent junior group leader (SNSF funded), ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
2014-2021 Assistant professor (SNSF funded), University of Zürich, Switzerland. 
 

Ph.D. in Marine Biology, 2008, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Posdoctoral research in Gothenburg University, Sweden (2008-2010), University of Manchester, UK (2010-2013), Brno, Czech Republic (2014), NTNU Trondheim, Norway (2015-2017), University of Helsinki, Finland (2017-2023) and Hong Kong (2023-2024).

I have a diverse background in population and evolutionary genomics focused on understanding how different evolutionary processes affects patterns of genetic variation in natural populations and how this can be utilized to understand adaptive evolutionary processes in the wild. My studies include local adaptation in marine periwinkles (Littorina fabalis) on the Swedish west coast; inversion polymorphism in anopheles mosquitoes in SE Asia; artificial selection experiments in insular grey sparrow populations off the coast of northern Norway; parallel evolution in stickleback fishes (Helsinki); and developing methods to detect range expansions from population genomic data (Hong Kong).

Ph.D. in Biology, 2018, Free University of Brussels, Belgium. Posdoctoral research at MLU, Germany, (2018), University of Oulu, Finland (2019-2022), University of Helsinki, Finland (2022-).

I am interested in using genomics to understand the evolution of natural populations, specifically how migration, adaptation and demography shape genomic diversity. I focus mainly on forest ecosystems, my recent work include studies on trees (uncovering the demography of several wildly distributed trees in Europe, with a focus on Scots pine) and on the spruce bark beetles (population dynamics in northern Europe, invasion in the UK). My current study aims at better understanding the genomic architecture that may promote rapid adaptation of organisms to changing or novel environments, and especially the adaptive role of large non-recombining regions such as inversions.

BSc in Biology, 2018, University of Malta, Malta. MSc in Ecology and Evolution, 2023, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Hi, I am an evolutionary biologist with a keen interest in simulations and computational methods. My academic background ranges from marine ecology, which I studied during my BSc, to a more recent foray into evolutionary dynamics using the simulation software Avida during my MSc.

Currently, my research is focused on examining the impacts of species interactions on eco-evolutionary dynamics. I am utilizing the individual-based model software Nemo, which I am also actively helping to develop further. This work aims to deepen our understanding of how interactions shape ecosystems and improve our predictive capabilities in the face of environmental changes.

BSc in Botany, 2019, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. MSc in Plant Sciences, 2023, University of Helsinki, Finland. Research assistant at LUOMUS, 2021 – 2023, Helsinki, Finland.

My work aims to investigate the genetic architecture of adaptation. I do this by testing polygenic adaptation to a new temperature and humidity optimum using experimental evolution, using Tribolium castaneum as the model organism. I have experience working on large scale greenhouse experiments, gathering phenotypic data, and performing statistical analysis on empirical data. I hope to complement these skills by learning to perform genetic analysis on samples collected from our lab.

B.S. in Ecology (2020) & M.S. in Ecology (2024), Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.

I am a PhD student in Ecology, interested in community ecology and eco-evolutionary dynamics under climate change and habitat fragmentation. My research combines theoretical modelling, data analysis, and computational approaches, with a particular focus on individual-based modelling of eco-evolutionary dynamics in spatially explicit metacommunities. I developed MetaIBM, an open-source Python tool for simulating evolving metacommunities, and I am currently extending this framework to investigate biodiversity responses to rapid environmental change. More broadly, I aim to bridge theoretical ecology, computational modelling, and empirical data to better understand and predict biodiversity patterns in rapidly changing environments.
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BSc in Psychology, 2012,  BSc Mathematics 2020, MSc Applied Mathematics 2024, PhD Neuroscience 2026

My research experiences lie mostly in the field of systems neuroscience. Mathematician by formal training, I worked in a cognitive neuroscience lab, where I worked with electrophysiology of cognition. I did my PhD with Nelson Totah at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Pharmacy, where we studied the neural correlates of internally driven performance control and response conflict in rat’s prefrontal cortex.

Currently I focus more on software optimization and development. I joined the group in April 2026 to work on Nemo simulation software. My project is to make Nemo more accessible by researchers, as well as expand its compatibility with already established software packages in evolutionary biology.

Postdoc, 2021-2022