People
Dr. Juan Carlos Illera
Senior lecture (Associate Professor) in Ecology, University of Oviedo.
Current and former postdocs
Dr. Mark Gillingham
Postdoc
Mark is an evolutionary biologist with wide experience in avian MHC and microbiome topics.
Mark is now a scientific at the the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence.
Dr. Karina Montero
Postdoc
Karina is an evolutionary biologist with a background in behavioural and molecular ecology. More recently her work focuses on population genetics, MHC genes, and gut microbiome of wildlife species.
Karina is a postdoc working with the microbiome of Macaronesian finches, and with the differentiation of island birds within the CONDET project.
Current PhD Students
Liz Allocca
ARIES DTP PhD, UEA. 2024-, Co-supervised by Sarah Worsley, Juan Carlos Illera, Richard Davies
The gut microbiome has been linked to host health and survival in wild animals. Despite its importance, how anthropogenic and ecological factors influence gut microbiome variation remains poorly understood.
I will investigate gut microbiome variation at a fine spatial scale across environmental gradients using Berthelot’s Pipit as a model system.
This will provide insight into interactions between gut microbiomes and environmental pressures, contributing to broader efforts in biodiversity conservation in the face of anthropogenic stress.
Eugenio Carlon
BBSRC NRPDTP PhD, UEA. 2024-, Co-supervised Evelien Adriaenssens, Sarah Worsely and Juan Carlos Illera
Songbirds can carry a variety of zoonotic pathogens, often live in close proximity to humans, and have high disease-spreading potential due to their mobility.
Yet, little is known about their virome, or what factors may affect its composition.
My PhD will determine how coevolutionary dynamics and anthropogenic factors impact viral diversity and composition in a semi-commensal island bird, Berthelot’s pipit, to better understand the human-animal viral interface and potential for zoonoses.