Stephen Rossiter, Professor in Molecular Ecology and Evolution

I use approaches in molecular ecology, phylogenetics and molecular evolution to address questions in evolutionary biology and conservation. I am especially interested in the molecular basis of adaptation, population divergence and speciation. Most of my work focuses on mammals, particularly bats, which are highly diverse and possess a range of evolutionary innovations.

Lokdeep Teekas, Postdoctoral Research Assistant

The molecular adaptations that provide specialized immunity to bats remain poorly understood. I use a range of computational approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms that enable viral tolerance in bat species. By leveraging publicly available datasets, I compare species- and clade-specific variations that enhance viral tolerance in different bat species, enabling them to thrive in their respective environments.

Fajrin Shidiq, PhD Student

For my PhD project I am using carrion flies as samplers of vertebrate biodiversity in Indonesian Borneo. I am focusing on catchment forests near the new Indonesian capital city of Nusantara, which are threatened by imminent population expansion, and where baseline biodiversity data are needed for future monitoring. By sampling along a disturbance gradient from forest to populated areas, I am also trialing this method for assessing risks of insect-borne disease transmission, inferred by detecting DNA of wild animals and domestic livestock in the same flies.

Syam Iryanto, PhD Student

My PhD research focuses on applying population genomics to better understand the genetic diversity and demographic histories of bats, with a particular emphasis on rare species of conservation concern. I am generating low-coverage genomic datasets from a wide range of bat species and will examine aspects of individual genetic diversity, such as mutational load and runs of homozygosity (ROH). Ultimately, these measurements will be related to conservation status and other ecological factors. By integrating genomic data with demographic inference methods, I hope my results will potentially inform effective conservation strategies.

Name, Phd student

Donec eu est non lacus lacinia semper. Vivamus sit amet semper lacus, in mollis libero. Donec ac fringilla turpis.