The environment shapes our genome and epigenome over long and short time scales, and sometimes in ways that interact with each other. Natural selection sculpts the genetic sequence over many generations, affecting the structure and function of epigenetic enzymes and the genomic substrate upon which they act. Meanwhile, epigenetic changes, while themselves short-lived, can induce mutations which change the genetic sequence itself. In other words, genetics and epigenetics are intertwined.
As part of the Epigenetics and Evolution group at FIWI, I use next generation sequencing data and experimental approaches to study the interplay between genome sequence and epigenetic function.
Key research interests
- Epigenetic mechanisms
- Phenotypic plasticity
- Parental effects / non-genetic inheritance
- Mutational assimilation
Expertise
- Next generation sequencing analyses
- Population genomics
- Statistical modelling and data visualisation
