Hej! I’m Danielle, a new postdoc from Canada working with Anna Runemark and Maj Rundlöf. My background is in landscape genetics and landscape genomics, and I am here to study the patterns of gene flow and genetic diversity in populations of the small blue butterfly (Cupido minimus) in southern Sweden. Our aim with this project is to identify landscape features and characteristics that influence butterfly connectivity.
I completed my MSc in conservation biology at the University of Kent in the UK, where I studied spatial patterns of the chytrid fungus impacting populations of amphibians in Honduras. I then returned to Canada to study montane bumble bee populations during my PhD at the University of Calgary in Canada. During this time, I tested hypotheses related to the impact of heterogeneous landscapes on bumble bee abundance, species richness, gene flow, and local adaptation.
Next, I completed a PostDoc position at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Marine and Continental Ecology (IMBE) in Aix-en-Provence, France, investigating how patterns of habitat amount and fragmentation related to gene flow and genetic diversity in red squirrel populations in the south of France.
Outside of research I dabble in a variety of hobbies, from music (I play the piano, flute and saxophone, and was part of a community jazz band for many years) to sports (I have played volleyball, tennis, soccer, flag football, and will happily try pretty much any sport except dodgeball!) and outdoor activities including climbing and hiking. I’ve already felt very welcomed by the department here at Lund, and can’t wait to continue getting to know everyone here!
