Nina Guerra Serén
PhD Student
I completed my graduation in Biology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) in 2011 and obtained my MSc degree in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution at the same institution in 2013. During my MSc I gained research experience while studying molecular evolution and functional divergence of metallothionein genes using several computational tools. I also performed an ecotoxicological assay in amphibian larvae (Epidalea calamita) to access sub-lethal effects in this species when exposed to different temperatures and heavy metal concentrations. Before I got my PhD, I worked as a research technician for three years in a project that focused on the study of adaptation to environmental change of a desert specialist rodent (Jaculus jaculus) in multiple perspectives: phenotypic analysis (colouration), candidate colour gene survey, phylogenetics, niche modelling, and genomic scans in what we believe are two different (and differentially adapted) Jaculus species.
I am currently starting my PhD, in the BIODIV programme. My PhD thesis project is aimed at studying high-altitude adaptation of an endemic reptile species (Gallotia gallotia) across a steep altitude transect, from 0 to 3700m in Tenerife. Again, this project will be based on a multidisciplinary approach, focused mainly on evaluating the ecophisiological changes experienced by populations along the slope, and also the genomic signatures of selection along the gradient. To finish this summary, I just want to say that I am interested in all aspects of evolutionary theory, participating in field expeditions, and most important of all, perform research for conservation purposes.
