Kay Lucek – Principal investigator
Kay is an SNSF Eccellenza Assistent Professor at the University of Neuchâtel. His research aims to advance our understanding on how biodiversity evolves and is maintained. To address this genomic tools are especially used, ranging from metabarcoding to whole genome sequencing. A key goal is to understand how chromosomes may be reshuffled and what happens when species come into contact again following their range expansions since the last ice age.
Hannah Augustijnen – PhD student
Projects:
The rates of speciation driven by chromosomal fusion and fission in Erebia butterflies
The evolutionary outcome of secondary contact in the E. tyndarus group
Paula Escuer – PostDoc
Project:
The comparative (epi-)genomic architecture of chromosomal rearrangements in Lepidoptera
Fanny Gagliardi – PhD student
Project:
The role of allochrony upon secondary contact in Erebia butterflies
Ashwini Mohan – Postdoc
Project:
The comparative (epi-)genomic architecture of chromosomal rearrangements in Carex
Elias Trachsel – MSc student
Project:
The evolutionary outcome of secondary contact between subspecies of the Lycaena hippothoe complex
Former Lab Members
Selim Bouaouina (MSc 2018-2019), currently PhD student at the Swiss TPH