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Anja Felmy – new Associate Senior Lecturer

Portrait of Anja Felmy. Photo.

Hello everyone!

I’m extremely excited to join the Department of Biology as a new Associate Senior Lecturer. I’m based in the Aquatic Ecology unit because I will lead a research laboratory with fish. In addition, I hope to establish strong ties with the Evolutionary Ecology unit, since my research interests lie in the fields of evolutionary biology and evolutionary ecology as a whole.

My work at Lund University focuses on improving our understanding of how the environment influences contemporary evolution – the short-term evolutionary change that allows populations to adapt and persist. My goal is to help make predictions of microevolution in the wild more reliable. To date, predictions are often inaccurate, and recent work suggests that environmental variability is a major contributor to the predictive inaccuracy. In my predictions, I will thus explicitly account for environmental variability. To do so, I combine mathematical models with quantitative genetic methods, applied to Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata, small tropical freshwater fish) both in the laboratory and field.

I arrived in Lund two months ago but am originally from Switzerland. I received my PhD from ETH Zurich, studying mating-system evolution in hermaphroditic snails with Jukka Jokela. I then had a series of postdoctoral fellowships. For three years, I joined Tim Coulson’s lab at the University of Oxford, UK. I then returned to Switzerland, where I worked as a lecturer and Marie Curie postdoc at the University of Zurich, first with Hanna Kokko and then with Lukas Keller. Now I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all and learning what you do!

When I’m not at work, I’m with my husband and our two children, preferably at the beach building sand castles and collecting seashells. In the (admittedly mostly mythical) time I have for myself, I like reading novels, baking, and gardening.

oktober 9, 2023

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Dagordning för styrelsemötet den 4/10 -23

Den 4 oktober klockan 13.15 har institutionsstyrelsen möte i Stora konferensrummet i Ekologihuset. Följande står på dagordningen.

  1. Mötet öppnas
  2. Protokolljusterare utses
  3. Fastställande av dagordningen
  4. Föregående mötesprotokoll
  5. Redovisning tertialbokslut II – Bilaga 1 (Föredragande Peter Stenild Matthesen)
  6. Budget 2024 (Föredragande Peter Stenild Matthesen)
  7. Personal – Anhållan om att inrätta tillsvidareanställning:
    • Inga tjänster
  8. Strategiska planen
    • Enhetsöversyn (Föredragande Tobias Uller)
  9. OSA-enkäten
    • genomgång av resultatet från vårens OSA-enkät – Bilaga 2
  10. Informationspunkter
    • Prefektbeslut
    • Övrig information
  11. Eventuellt övrigt
september 27, 2023

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Händelser Kallelse Möte Styrelse

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Vivian Schmitt – new PhD student

Portrait of Vivian Smitt

Hello everyone! My name is Vivian and I am a new PhD student in the unit for molecular cell biology. I work in Olivier Van Akens group where we study plant mitochondria and their ways of dealing with biotic and abiotic stress.

I came to Lund three years ago to obtain my master’s degree in biochemistry. Already during my master’s degree, I joined Olivier’s group for a project work and my master thesis research. Since March I am back as a PhD student and am excited to continue my studies on the evolutionary origin and mechanisms of plant mitochondrial stress responses!

september 25, 2023

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Corrie Nyquist – new postdoc

A person is standing in a rocky landscape with a volcano in the background. Photo.

Hi! My name is Corrie Nyquist (they/them/theirs pronouns). I am a postdoctoral researcher in Aquatic Ecology working with Doctors Pablo Urrutia Cordero and Björn Klatt on effects of cyanotoxins on bee health, behavior, and pollination services.

I recently arrived in Lund in July but am originally from Minnesota, U.S.A. and received my PhD from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2022. My dissertation research focused on effects of temperature on biology of winter-active aquatic flies in the family Chironomidae. My research took me from winter field seasons in Minnesota to subarctic winters in Iceland. In Iceland, I investigated thermal acclimatization and survival of cold-adapted chironomids and received a Fulbright Arctic Research Award in 2021 to formally describe and investigate winter chironomid activity in Iceland for the first time.

My research interests continue to lie in aquatic ecology and invertebrate science. I am especially interested in investigations of invertebrate adaptation to anthropogenic impacts, effects of climate warming on aquatic life, aquatic-terrestrial interactions, and insect behavior. With my current research at Lund University, I am excited to delve into aquatic-terrestrial interactions via pollinator activity and toxic cyanobacteria blooms. I will be working mainly with colonies of Bombus terrestris in toxin exposure experiments and investigating biotic and abiotic drivers of cyanotoxin production in cyanobacteria from local Swedish ponds.

When I am not working on my research, I like to be involved in diversity and equity efforts in ecology like the Trans and Gender-nonconforming Fieldwork Alliance. I also like to hike, draw, and write fiction. Recently, I picked up my violin again after not playing for several years and like to practice a bit here and there.

september 19, 2023

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Dagordning för GUNs möte den 22/9 -23

GUN

Grundutbildningsnämnden har möte i Synpunkten den 22 september klockan 13.15. Följande står på dagordningen:

  1. Mötet öppnas
  2. Justeringsperson utses
  3. Fastställande av dagordningen
  4. Föregående mötesprotokoll (bifogas)
  5. Meddelanden externt – fakulteten:
    • CECs flytt?
    • Beräkningsvetenskap: en började på inriktning biologi
  6. Meddelanden externt – andra utbildningar
  7. Meddelanden internt, om bland annat:
    • Kvalitetsgranskningen: inkomna utlåtanden från externa granskare (bifogas 5 dokument, alla inleds med en sammanfattning om man vill få en överblick)
    • Ekonomi: besparingar krävs – reducerad kurstilldelning 2024
    • Antal nya studenter (Lotta och Tina)
    • Information från Biblioteket (Frida)
  8. Aktuella ärenden
    • Förslag till beslut: Uppdatering kursutbud (ändringar i rött, bifogas)
    • Förslag till beslut: Uppdatering av dokument om Handledare vid biologiska institutionen (bifogas)
    • Programråd för kandidatprogrammen, diskussion om upplägg och sammansättning
    (Den kompletterade konsekvensanalysen beträffande att ersätta BIOC01 med BIOC11 tas upp på GUN-mötet 231020)
  9. Information från studierådet
  10. Information från studievägledarna, inklusive höstens antagning
  11. Information från koordinatorerna
    • Kandidatprogram i biologi och molekylärbiologi
    • Masterprogram i biologi, molekylärbiologi och bioinformatik
  12. Kursplaner/Utbildningsplaner
    • Kursplaner:
      Följande kursplaner tillstyrktes:
      BIOF22 Praktik 10 hp (bifogas), ersätter BIOF05.
    • Utbildningsplaner: inga
  13. Inkomna kursanalyser: BIOR88, BIOR79, BIOR63, BIOR56. BIOR31, BINP28, BIOB10, BIOB11, BIOR66, BIOR82, BIOC10, BIOR72 (bifogas)
  14. Övriga frågor
  15. Mötet avslutas
september 15, 2023

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Protokoll från GUNs möte den 5/5 -23

GUN

Den 5 maj hade grundutbildningsnämnden möte. Då diskuterades bland annat kvalitetsgranskningen, workshop om referenshanteringsprogrammet Zotero, kurstilldelning och utbud, paus av växtbiologispåret, kurs- och utbildningsplaner och kursanalyser. Hela protokollet finns på vår internwebb.

september 15, 2023

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Strengths and challenges in the “State of the Union” speech this year

A powerpoint image with the text State of the Union. Photo.

Yesterday, Jessica Abbot, head of the department, held a “State of the Union” speech to the people of the department. The Blue Hall was more than full of employees who wanted to hear more about what is going on and what to expect of the future.

A person is standing looking at a powerpoint. Photo.

– You may think I make all of the decisions in the department. I make some, but definitely not all of them, Jessica said and started with an organisation chart of the decision makers and their responsibilities at the department.

Due to a very cute puppy, Jessica has very limited availability in real life until the beginning of October when the puppy is old enough to start dog daycare. However, you can always reach her digitally.

How is the “union” doing then? We have a lot of strengths, like world-class research, high-quality education with satisfied students, and enthusiastic and happy colleagues. We also have some challenges in the near future.

The external challenges are among other things IT security, the move to Brunnshög for some of the departments within the Faculty of Science and the merge of the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, and the Department of Geology. And, of course, the rising costs due to inflation and energy prices.

A person is standing talking. Photo.

Joakim Nilsson, administrative manager, described how the overhead (OH) is set and a new policy for co-financing large external grants which do not fully cover OH. All our financial officers have a copy of this policy.

The rent is also increasing fast due to inflation. We will do an overview of our facilities and space requirements to see how we can let go of some of our square meters.

We also have some internal challenges to face, like changes in the composition of our employees with many retirements in the next six years. There is also a new process for the recruitment of new staff (on our internal website) which will harmonise with the faculty. You have to plan in advance because the recruitment process is now a two-year process.

Finally, Jessica gave us an update on the evaluation of the unit structure. Based on the feedback they will develop a consensus structure that will be presented to all staff on 5 October. On 25 October the board will decide whether or not we shall move forward with the new structure. If approved, the new units will be implemented in early 2024.

Three persons talks. Photo.

After some questions and answers, there was an opportunity to mingle and have some snacks. A great way to say hello to colleagues you don’t meet every day.

Two persons are talking and laughing. Photo.

Text and photo Inger Ekström

september 8, 2023

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Händelser Möte Prefekt

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Den som väntar på något gott…

Folk står och tittar på när en stor trälåda ska öppnas.

Institutionen har ny teknisk utrustning på plats sedan en vecka. Den nya utrusningen, en micro CT – som kan röntga föremål i 360 grader – levererades den 28 augusti.

Leveransen var satt till runt ”noon” – alltså lunchtid – och förväntningarna på leveransen av lådan som vägde cirka tre ton var stor. Det välrenommerade företaget Tunga lyft var på plats för att få utrustningen på plats i Biologihuset, men lastbilen hade kommit på avvägar. Så ”runt noon” blev snarare vid 15-snåret. Det som är en vanlig dag på jobbet för killarna på Tunga lyft lockade en liten nyfiken publik den här eftermiddagen.

Fyra personer baxar in stor utrustning genom en ytterdörr. Foto.
Det var på håret! Tre ton skulle in genom dörren och det krävdes närmast millimeterprecision.

När utrustningen packades upp ur trälådan skötte Tunga lyft den sista biten med hjälp av både truck och ”rullskridskor”.

Två män och en tumstock. Foto.
Millimeterprecision som sagt…

Vad är det då som är så speciellt med den här utrustningen som Marie Dacke säger sig ha ägnat tre år till att få på plats?

– Vi kan röntga olika föremål i 360 grader och då kan vi få ut tredimensionell data på till exempel insekter, säger forskningsingenjör Ola Gustafsson.

Text & bild: Anders Örtegren

september 4, 2023

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Händelser Infrastruktur

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Lydwin Wagenaar – new PhD student

A person standing with a rucksack. Photo.

Hello!
My name is Lydwin and I started my PhD position at the Department of Biology in July. During my PhD, I will be working with, among others, Ola Olsson and Henrik Smith to study the restoration of ecological complexity in Swedish eco parks.

I am originally from The Netherlands but moved to Sweden to study the Master in Conservation Biology five years ago. During my master’s degree I wrote two theses, one about the bottom-up effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on higher trophic levels in Panama and one about the effects of human activities on the stress behaviour of red deer in The Netherlands.

After my master’s degree, I studied Swedish, worked at the Nordic Society of Oikos as a managing assistant, and worked at Naturskyddsföreningen as a project coordinator of ‘the world’s longest flower meadow’ during which I educated many different stakeholders on how to improve the biodiversity on roadsides. Even though I enjoyed working at these two organisations, I am looking forward to come back to the research world to learn more about forest restoration which, I think, is a very important topic if we want to protect Swedish nature.

Whenever I find some spare time, I like to go hiking. I have also started bouldering recently but I am still quite bad at it.

See you around in the ecology building!

augusti 23, 2023

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