I did my master’s thesis with Dr. Jessica Abbott on the cryptic color patterns on the transparent wings of common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Later I worked at the same lab as an assistant/technician, responsible for maintaining the experimental evolution studies of D.melanogaster and a simultaneous hermaphroditic marine flatworm called Macrostomum lignano, two very different species on the same theme of how sex chromosomes evolve and their effects on individual fitness.
My PhD program deals with the transition between uni- and multicellularity. To tackle this broad question, I will work on the green algae system that Maria has established. We will initially scan a database to identify ecological correlates on the presence of multicellular algae in Swedish lakes; and then design experiments to better understand those potential multicellularity inducers. Future plans include studying the developmental bases of multicellular life cycle, the role of sexual reproduction in the evolution of multicellularity, etc.
ย I come from Yunnan, China, but have been a long-time Lund resident.