Dr Alana Alexander, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago
Linking past to future: using genomics to ‘time-travel’
Molecular approaches are useful for inferring how populations have responded to selective pressures and past environmental change. My research utilises the “time-traveling” ability of genomics, advanced computational tools, and behavioural, ecological, and biogeographic data to make inferences about the processes influencing genetic diversity within and among populations. These inferences range from global spatial and deep temporal scales (e.g. selection and the worldwide impact of climate fluctuations on global sperm whale populations over the last 125,000 years), to regional spatial scales across recent time scales (e.g. processes influencing the movement of genes and individuals across hybrid zones over the last few decades).
As a Māori scientist, I also maintain a strong interest in ensuring that my research can be used to support kaitiakitanga and rangatiratanga of resources within the rohe of iwi and hapū.
