PhD Students
Current
I am interested in understanding the connectivity of the Arabian killifish (Aphanius dispar) populations in the Saudi Arabian desert. This fish species is particularly interesting because it is adapted to survive in very though conditions, coping with high temperatures in seasonal ponds of water (wadis). I will work in a team supervised by Prof Timothy Ravasi that will study the genetic differentiation of the fish between different ponds using Restriction-site Associated DNA (RAD) sequencing, in order to discover putative gene flow between the wadis. Moreover, this will be the first step to find pond/condition specific variants that might reveal local adaptations in these fish to wadi peculiar harsh conditions.