Antonio Jesús Muñoz Pajares

Biography

My scientific background includes a diverse and multidisciplinary range of skills in evolutionary biology as well as experience in genetic "wet-bench", ecology field work, statistical analyses, software development, and theoretical simulations. As a masters degree student, I worked on supernumerary chromosomes of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans using cytogenetics and molecular methods. As a PhD student, I investigated the evolutionary history of Erysimum mediohispanicum, a young plant species showing an extremely generalized pollination system. For that, I monitored a large number of populations within most of the Iberian Peninsula, combining research on three aspects: plant genetics, plant phenotype (including geometric morphometrics), and plant-pollinator interactions. During my PhD I got experience in programming using R and I became more interested in theoretical approaches, including new algorithms development. Currently, I'm interested in the intersection between bioinformatics, genetics, and ecology, specifically in the study of evolution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives. Since I joined the PlantBio group, I'm investigating the spatio-temporal colonization patterns in expanding tree populations of Juniperus phoenicea.

Research Interest

Genetic "wet-bench", ecology field work, statistical analyses, software development, and theoretical simulations.