Research

Understanding life history variation is a central theme in biology because various biological questions ultimately revolve around the causes and consequences of variation in reproduction and survival, i.e. fitness. Traditionally, a major tool in life-history research has been quantitative genetics because it provides an important statistical link between phenotype and genotype. However, the mechanisms by which evolution occurs may remain unclear unless such traditional approaches are combined with molecular investigations. Another complicating factor is that the fitness of male vs female life histories do not always align, and hence life history traits may be shaped by sexual conflict. This is why life-history approaches focusing on both quantifying the conflict and understanding its resolution at the genetic level are needed. My research currently addresses these themes using several salmonid fish species (Atlantic salmon and European grayling) as models. Examples of ongoing projects include:

i) Age at maturity in Atlantic salmon: molecular and ecological dissection of an adaptive trait;

ii) The genetic architecture of life-history variation: functional mechanisms & implications for evolution;

iii) Integrative science for adaptive co-management in the Arctic: Teno Atlantic salmon as a model system;

iv) The molecular mechanisms of rapid thermal adaptation in a European grayling meta-population.