Hi all!
My name is Sofie Nilén I just started my PhD at the Evolutionary ecology unit in the lab of Professor Erik Svensson. I am super excited to get started and meet all the new people as well as all the people I already know. I have already spent quite a few years at Lund University where I started out by working on how sexual conflict promotes species coexistence through negative frequency dependence. During this time, I fell in love with science and our study organisms Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies).
In my Master’s project, I focused on one species: The Common Bluetail damselfly (Ischnura elegans). I was interested in how ecological differences between closely related populations could promote phenotypic and genetic population divergence. I used a combination of approaches including molecular techniques, phenotypic studies of natural field populations and mate-choice experiments to investigate these questions.
Now I will start my PhD on the evolutionary dynamics of trans-species polymorphisms in damselflies, particularly the genus Ischnura (forktails). My aim is to disentangle how these colour polymorphisms are maintained over both microevolutionary time scales over a few generations and over macroevolutionary time scales over millions of years.
When I am not working, training, especially martial arts is one of my true passions in life. I also love to travel and explore new countries. While travelling or being at home I also love spending time in nature, birding, looking at insects or at whatever interesting organism that happens to cross my path.
Everything from enjoying a good cup of coffee to exploring new recipes, cooking food or baking are other things that enrich my life. So, if you have interesting recipes, want to talk science or just hang out I will be around for at least four years.
See you around!
