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At the laboratory of evolutionary biology we mostly use genomic data to study the evolutionary history of life on Earth. However, our interests are wider than that and we are particularly interested in the integration of genomic and palaeontological data (molecular palaeobiology), in the phylogeny of extinct (like dinosaurs), and extant groups (like arthropods), and in the development of phylogenetic methods that can be used in molecular and/or morphological phylogenetics.
We are involved in several international research collaborations, and we are part of stable collaborative networks with the Palaeobiology and Biodiversity Research Group of the University of Bristol, with the Herpetology division of the Natural History Museum of London.
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Phylogenomics
We are interested in using complete genomes in phylogenetics and to recover, and date the Tree of Life. We are also interested in the development of robust approaches to integrate complete genomes and results from shallow genomic experiments (like ESTs), and to study new areas of application of the phylogenomic methodos (e.g. pharmacophylogenomics).
Animal Evolution
We are interested in the application of phylogenetic and systems approaches to study the evolution of animals. We are particularly interested in integrating data from different sources, particularly genomic and palaeontological data, but also ecological, and biochemical data. Our research in animal evolution focus on the study of (1) the origin and evolution of the animal sensory functions, (2) Early animal evolution (i.e. the origin of the animal Phyla) and particularly the high level phylogeny of Arthropoda, and (3) herpetology and palaeoherpetology.
Phylogenetic Methods
We are interested in the development of supertree methods, methods to evaluate the support in supertrees, and methods for phylogenetic signal amplification and signal dissection. We are particularly interested in developing compatibility-based supertree and phylogenetic signal amplification methods.
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- Phd & Postdoctoral Candidates Wanted
- If you are interested get in touch, we can discuss possible opportunities!
- Undergraduates opportunities
- The First NUIM Summer School of Molecular Evolutionary Research (SoMER School) will start this summer (2008) and will run for the next three years. We will hire ten students per year. Salary will be provided.
- 31 August 2008
- Ms Alice Blumlein won the competition for the Best Student Poster at the 6th Biannual Meeting of the Systematics Association (Edinburgh)
- 28 February 2007
- Dr. Pisani was appointed Scientific Associate of the Department of Zoology of the Natural History Museum of London