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Houshuai Wang – new researcher

Portrait of Houshuai Wang. Photo.

Hi! I’m Houshuai Wang, a visiting researcher in Niklas Wahlberg’s lab. I’m working on taxonomy, systematics and biodiversity of some lepidopteran groups. My current project focuses on phylogeny and evolution of Lymantriinae (commonly called tussock moths), mainly using museomics and sequence capture data.

I received my PhD degree in Entomology from South China Agricultural University in 2015, and then worked in the same university as an associate professor until present. During 2012–2014, I studied at the Department of Zoology at Stockholm University as a visiting PhD student.

I like travelling and playing badminton outside of work.

november 21, 2025

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Dagordning för styrelsemötet den 26/11 -25

Den 26 november klockan 13.15 har institutionsstyrelsen möte. Följande står på dagordningen:

  1. Mötet öppnas
  2. Protokolljusterare utses
  3. Fastställande av dagordningen
  4. Föregående mötesprotokoll
  5. Budget 2026 – föredragande Peter Stenild Matthesen (bilaga)
  6. Personal – Anhållan om att inrätta tillsvidareanställning:
  7. Personal – Övriga tjänstetillsättningar
  8. Strategiska planen
  9. Informationspunkter
    • Prefektbeslut
    • Övrig information
    • Datum styrelsemöte för våren 2026
  10. Eventuellt övrigt
november 20, 2025

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Händelser Kallelse Möte Styrelse

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Andrea Moravcová – new postdoc

Portrait of Andrea Moravcová. Photo.

Hi! My name is Andrea Moravcová, and I’ve just joined the department as a postdoctoral researcher. I recently moved here from Prague, where I completed my PhD focusing on how climate change shapes interactions between plants and soil microorganisms.

During my two-year postdoc with François Maillard, I’ll be exploring different aspects of fungal necromass decomposition—how fungi break down their own dead biomass, and how these processes contribute to long-term soil carbon storage. I’m excited to be here, to learn new techniques, and to work in such an inspiring environment!

november 19, 2025

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Antoine Touret – new PhD student

Portrait of Antoine Touret. Photo.

Hej ! My name is Antoine Touret. I’m a French and Chilean PhD student in the Vision Group, supervised by Dr. Marcus Stensmyr. I’m currently studying the systematics and adaptation of some unusual fruit flies! How does a fly go from being a cosmopolitan human commensal (like D. melanogaster) to living in crabs (like D. carcinophila)? And what is the genomic footprint of such a transition?

The journey of this fly begins in La Serena, Chile, where I lived the first 18 years of my life. Then I moved to Paris in 2018, where I completed a Bachelor’s in General Biology and a Master’s in Integrative Biology and Physiology. I did all my internships working with Drosophilidae, so they’re in my heart and on my mind, always.

Besides biology, I love listening to music and learning new things. I also enjoy reading, hiking, running, and studying languages; so Swedish might be the next one on the list… unless you give me a reason to learn yours instead.

november 14, 2025

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Danielle Clake – new postdoc

A person is standing outside in a river. Photo.

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!

november 13, 2025

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Chloe Kaczvinsky – new postdoc

Portrait of Chloe Kaczvinsky. Photo.

Hej! I’m Chloe Kaczvinsky, a new post-doc working with Andreas Nord and Cilla Lundberg at the BMC. I’m exploring thermal tolerance in birds using experimental genetic methods. The ultimate goal is to find out what happens to birds on a steadily heating Earth.

I was raised in Louisiana, USA (nowhere near New Orleans). I then spent four years in Philadelphia, where I studied international relations and biology. I did my MSc. in entomology in rural Alabama, and then moved to England for my DPhil. I then spent five years trying to get DNA from bird faeces, wrestling code, and occasionally chasing penguins in the wild. I have a general interest in astrobiology and life in extreme environments.

When not at work, you’ll find me engaging in any variety of crafty hobbies, including spindle spinning and quilting, or reading. I’d love any good information about Lund or crucial Swedish experiences I should have while here.

november 4, 2025

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Teaching with AI: finding shared ground in the classroom

Hands that are pointing on text. Photo.

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and so are the challenges it brings to teaching. Our students are already using AI tools in their studies, and surveys show that they want clearer guidance from their teachers on what is allowed and what is not. At the same time, it’s not always easy to define those boundaries.

Three smiling people. Photo.

To address this, we recently organised an AI workshop for teachers. Our goal was to discuss and develop shared approaches to how students may use AI in courses. The workshop offered space for teachers to exchange experiences, reflect together, and explore what a responsible approach to AI might look like in teaching.

A lot of people in smaller discussion groups. Photo.

During the workshop, participants worked in small groups to discuss a series of challenging cases related to students’ use of AI. Everyone voted on a possible solution and then discussed in their groups why they had different opinions, and whether they could reach a shared position. The discussions were both lively and insightful, revealing just how complex the issue is and how important it is to keep talking about it.

Two people are talking. Photo.

At the end of the workshop, we presented a template for AI guidelines that teachers can adapt and post on their course pages in Canvas. The template is designed as a practical tool to help clarify expectations for students while still allowing flexibility across different courses and subjects.

Some people are looking at a text sheet. Photo.

We are considering hosting a similar workshop this spring. If you think that sounds like a good idea (or if you have feedback or suggestions), please feel free to contact the Undergraduate Education Office or the Biology Library, which co-organised the workshop.

Group discussion with three people. Photo.

 

Some people are discussing. Photo.

/Frida Rosengren, Maja Tarka and Fredrik Johansson

Text: Frida Rosengren
Photo: Inger Ekström

oktober 23, 2025

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Grundutbildning Händelser

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Viktor Johansson – new PhD student

Portrait of Viktor Johansson. Photo.

Hej! My name is Viktor, and I recently started as a PhD student in Olivier Van Aken’s lab at the Division of Molecular Biosciences. My research focuses on identifying the molecular signalling pathways that enable plants to perceive and respond to touch and other types of mechanical stimulation, and how this knowledge can be used to increase yield and stress resistance in crops.

I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s in molecular biology here in Lund. During my studies, I quickly developed a deep interest in plants. I find it fascinating that, despite being sessile organisms, they are constantly interacting with and responding to their environment. To me, it’s amazing that such “silent” organisms can be so active.

When I’m not touching plants, I enjoy listening to music (especially indie and electronic), playing the trumpet, running, cold bathing, being out in nature, and watching my favourite football team, IF Elfsborg. Feel free to swing by my office if you’re looking for music recommendations or want to chat about Swedish football! See you around!

oktober 22, 2025

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Aurélien Caries – new PhD student

A person is standing in front of a lake. Photo.

Hej!
I’m Aurélien, a French PhD student from southern France (Marseille). I joined the Division of Biodiversity and Evolution on October 1st, and my PhD is supervised by Magne Friberg, with co-supervision from Øystein Opedal.

My research focuses on the diversification of complex floral traits in Lithophragma, including both floral morphology and scent. These plants are pollinated by both specialised pollinators (Greya moths, which lay eggs in the corolla) and more generalised pollinators. I’m interested in how these interactions, together with the genomic rearrangements that occur across the species’ distribution range, drive trait variation. Hopefully, my work will shed new light on the drivers behind the astonishing diversity of floral traits and provide relevant insights into floral trait evolution.

Before my PhD, I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s at the University of Montpellier, focusing on plant biology and statistics. For my Master’s thesis, I spent six months at Lund University through an Erasmus program (Jan–Aug 2025), working in the same research group with Yedra Garcia Garcia, Magne Friberg, and Øystein Opedal. There, I studied pollination niche partitioning in orchid communities on Öland. My work aimed to show how plants that live together and share pollinators can coexist, depending on their pollination strategies.

Outside of research, I love dancing, mainly urban styles like street jazz and commercial dance. I really enjoy having this artistic hobby alongside my scientific work! Whenever I can, I attend workshops with other dancers to broaden my skills, and I’m also working on my own choreography, which I hope to teach one day. I also enjoy spending time in nature, and I’m currently starting to learn Swedish!

oktober 20, 2025

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Händelser Presentation

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Dagordning för FUNs möte den 14/10 -25

FUN

Forskarutbildningsnämnden har möte tisdagen den 14 oktober klockan 14.15 i Studenten i Ekologihuset. Följande står på dagordningen:

  1. Mötet öppnas
  2. Val av justeringsperson
  3. Föregående mötes minnesanteckningar
  4. Information från studierektorerna
  5. Information från BDR
  6. BLAM – erfarenheter från 2025, planering av nästa BLAM
  7. ”Guide to new PhD students” – utveckling av det existerande dokumentet (se bilaga)
  8. Genomgång av informationen om disputation – se vår internwebb, inklusive länkar till fakultetswebben
  9. Uppföljning av visionsmötet
  10. Övrigt
oktober 9, 2025

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Fereshteh Ghadamgahi – new PhD student

Portrait of Fereshteh Ghadamgahi. Photo.

Hi everyone!

I’m Fereshteh Ghadamgahi, a PhD student from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran, currently visiting the Division for Biodiversity & Evolution, Department of Biology at Lund University, under the supervision of Professor Erik Svensson. I joined Lund in September 2025 for a one-year research and training visit.

My doctoral research focuses on animal genetics, genetic diversity, and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on detecting selection signatures and genetic diversity in livestock species. In Sweden, I am working on identifying genomic signatures of selection in Ischnura elegans by comparing DNA-seq data from Sweden and Cyprus. The goal is to detect local adaptations — such as genes involved in heat tolerance in Cyprus versus cold tolerance in Sweden — and to interpret these patterns using population genetic analyses and gene ontology approaches.

Before starting my PhD, I completed my M.Sc. in Animal Genetics and Breeding at the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, where I worked on the genetic characterisation of growth and egg-production traits in native chickens of Khorasan Razavi province using Bayesian methods. I also contributed to studies on genetic polymorphisms of candidate genes (such as PEPCK-C using PCR-RFLP) and comparison of different heritability models in Iranian native fowl.

Outside of research, I enjoy music, travelling, and exploring nature. I am excited both to learn new bioinformatics methods and to experience the beautiful landscapes and culture of Sweden during my stay.

oktober 3, 2025

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