We are very pleased to welcome Sundre Winslow and Dorita Agius to the group as PhD students in the Doctoral Programme in Molecular and Cellular Systems of Life (MaCS), starting in January 2026.
Sundre joins the PhD programme after completing her MSc in Integrative Plant Science. Her research focuses on the evolutionary history of black nightshades (Morella clade Solanum), using genomic data from herbarium collections to uncover hidden species diversity and clarify complex evolutionary relationships relevant to crops and conservation. She collaborates with researchers at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Natural History Museum, London, UK.
Dorita’s PhD explores the evolution and diversity of Maltese sea lavenders (Limonium), a highly diverse group of coastal plants. By integrating genome sequencing data from living material, her project aims to resolve long-standing taxonomic questions and support the conservation of fragile coastal ecosystems, in collaboration with the University of Naples Federico II.
Together, these projects advance our understanding of plant evolution, including complex reticulate evolutionary histories, while generating critical genomic resources for taxonomy, conservation, and the management of endangered and endemic plant species. We are excited to see their work develop and to have them both in the group.