Who are the happy postdocs?
Dr Murielle Ålund
Postdoc at Michigan State University since March 2018, I am passionate about evolution, particularly how mating behaviours and interactions between sexes and their gametes affect speciation and maintenance of biodiversity. During my PhD in Sweden, I studied speciation in hybridizing flycatchers, and am currently investigating Icelandic sticklebacks’ impressive capacity to adapt to changing environments, with a focus on the evolution of sensory systems and brain functions. Originally from Switzerland, I have moved close to 9000km for science so far, not counting many years of fieldwork away from home. I had 2 kids during my PhD and my family followed me across continents to support my passion.
I am convinced that academia can be a good experience for anyone no matter their background, and hoping to use my experience as a woman and mum in STEM working in several countries with different administrative and social systems to actively participate in improving the working environment for everyone. |
Dr Edward Ivimey-CookI’m currently Postdoc-ing at the University of East Anglia working alongside Professor Alexei Maklakov. Broadly speaking, my research interests revolve around ageing, parental effects, and quantitative genetics. In particular I'm interested in understanding how biological processes and life-history trade-offs contribute to the vast observed diversity in trait ageing trajectories. In my current project I'm exploring links between life history trade-offs under dietary restriction and transgenerational effects on offspring performance. For my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, I used experimental and widescale comparative analyses to investigate the detrimental effects of increasing maternal age manifesting on offspring traits. Additionally, I explored the relative contribution of natural selection in helping to shape the vast diversity of ageing patterns that exists across the tree-of-life.
I am passionate about raising mental health awareness, especially in academia and university. In particular, reducing the stigma associated with openly discussing mental health. |
Dr Eryn MCFarlane
I’m a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Lund University. I study hybridization and introgression in populations affected by human disturbance and introductions. Specifically, I work on the genetics of hybridization between endemic Scottish red deer and introduced Japanese sika deer.
In my spare time, I hang out with my partner, our daughter Abby, dog Brando and cat Ollie. To try and stay a ‘happy postdoc’, I also craft and play roller derby. |