Dr. Rachael Dudaniec
My lab investigates how micro-evolutionary changes at the molecular level result in macro-ecological patterns, and how landscape and climatic features affect this. This can involve looking at how urbanisation and deforestation influence gene flow, how a changing climate affects adaptability of species that are expanding their ranges, or how parasites shape the behaviour and evolution of species. My lab aims to produce results that can inform conservation outcomes, by providing tools supported by field data at ecological and molecular levels. We use a combination of genomic sequencing data, landscape data and eco-evolutionary models to answer pressing questions about how humans are shaping biodiversity and species' responses to changing environments.
Teaching
I convene the Masters of Conservation Biology unit BIOL875 - 'Contemporary Conservation in Australia' ; as well as BIOL860 and BIOL870. I also co-lecture in BIOL206 Genetics (2nd year), as well as teach in the following units: BIOL334, BIOL349, BIOL326.
Brief background:
Current position: August 2015 - present
Lecturer in Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology)
Department of Biological Sciences
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Postdoctoral Research positions
2013-2015 Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: MC-IIF)
Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
2011 –2012 Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: ARC Linkage)
School of GPEM, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2008-2011 Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: BC Government Forest Science Program)
Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Education
2005-2008 PhD in Ecology and Evolution
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
2004 Honours in Biology (First Class)
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
2001-2003 Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation
Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
My lab investigates how micro-evolutionary changes at the molecular level result in macro-ecological patterns, and how landscape and climatic features affect this. This can involve looking at how urbanisation and deforestation influence gene flow, how a changing climate affects adaptability of species that are expanding their ranges, or how parasites shape the behaviour and evolution of species. My lab aims to produce results that can inform conservation outcomes, by providing tools supported by field data at ecological and molecular levels. We use a combination of genomic sequencing data, landscape data and eco-evolutionary models to answer pressing questions about how humans are shaping biodiversity and species' responses to changing environments.
Teaching
I convene the Masters of Conservation Biology unit BIOL875 - 'Contemporary Conservation in Australia' ; as well as BIOL860 and BIOL870. I also co-lecture in BIOL206 Genetics (2nd year), as well as teach in the following units: BIOL334, BIOL349, BIOL326.
Brief background:
Current position: August 2015 - present
Lecturer in Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology)
Department of Biological Sciences
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Postdoctoral Research positions
2013-2015 Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: MC-IIF)
Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
2011 –2012 Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: ARC Linkage)
School of GPEM, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2008-2011 Postdoctoral Researcher (funding: BC Government Forest Science Program)
Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Education
2005-2008 PhD in Ecology and Evolution
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
2004 Honours in Biology (First Class)
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
2001-2003 Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation
Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
Sonu Yadav (PhD student)
'Drivers of landscape genetic patterns and environmental adaptation in Australian grasshoppers'
Sonu commenced her PhD in August 2016 and is investigating the role of genetic adaptation, landscape connectivity and environmental variables in determining species’ ranges and phenotypic traits along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients using genomic data.
Contact: sonu.yadav@students.mq.edu.au
'Drivers of landscape genetic patterns and environmental adaptation in Australian grasshoppers'
Sonu commenced her PhD in August 2016 and is investigating the role of genetic adaptation, landscape connectivity and environmental variables in determining species’ ranges and phenotypic traits along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients using genomic data.
Contact: sonu.yadav@students.mq.edu.au
Alex Carey (Masters of Research student)
Alex is working on the landscape genetics of Ischnura elegans in Sweden to untangle how neutral genetic variation is structured by climate and landscape variables during range expansion, and how this affects local adaptation.
Alex is working on the landscape genetics of Ischnura elegans in Sweden to untangle how neutral genetic variation is structured by climate and landscape variables during range expansion, and how this affects local adaptation.
Sarah Reid-Anderson (Masters of Research student)
Sarah is a Masters of Research student and undertook an internship in the lab extracting DNA from Darwin's finches in 2016. Sarah has now commenced her 2nd year Masters project on the landscape and conservation genetics of Grey Nurse Sharks in Australia (together with Primary Supervisor Assoc/Prof Adam Stow and co-supervisor Dr Kerstin Bilgmann).
Sarah is a Masters of Research student and undertook an internship in the lab extracting DNA from Darwin's finches in 2016. Sarah has now commenced her 2nd year Masters project on the landscape and conservation genetics of Grey Nurse Sharks in Australia (together with Primary Supervisor Assoc/Prof Adam Stow and co-supervisor Dr Kerstin Bilgmann).
Cj Yong (Masters of Research student)
I am a lovely person who enjoys the outdoors and fitness, doesn't shy away from a conversation and appreciates a good beer. I am passionately enhancing my modelling skills and hope to save the world one step at a time. I am currently working with Rachael Dudaniec looking at genomic adaptation of Swedish damselflies, and next year I will look for convergent patterns of evolution in Ischnura.
I am a lovely person who enjoys the outdoors and fitness, doesn't shy away from a conversation and appreciates a good beer. I am passionately enhancing my modelling skills and hope to save the world one step at a time. I am currently working with Rachael Dudaniec looking at genomic adaptation of Swedish damselflies, and next year I will look for convergent patterns of evolution in Ischnura.
Bridget Campbell (Undergraduate Research Project)
Bridget is working on a ~500km sampling gradient of the pest grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum in New South Wales to answer questions about how populations sizes and phenotypic variation covary with environmental conditions. Bridget is working with Sonu Yadav on data she helped to collect in January 2017.
Bridget is working on a ~500km sampling gradient of the pest grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum in New South Wales to answer questions about how populations sizes and phenotypic variation covary with environmental conditions. Bridget is working with Sonu Yadav on data she helped to collect in January 2017.
