Anna-Sophie Hawranek, BSc MSc

2018-2021: MSc Botany, University of Vienna, Austria.

Thesis: The impact of recurrent origins and gene flow on the genetic structure of allopolyploid marsh orchids (Dactylorhiza, Orchidaceae).

Supervisor: Ovidiu Paun

since October 2019: MSc Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria.

2014-2018: BSc Biology/Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Austria.

Thesis: Habitat differentiation in rheophilic fishes in the middle rio Xingu, Amazon basin, Brazil.

Since I have spent most of my late childhood and teenage years growing fish, I dedicated my Bachelor work at the University of Salzburg to the fish diversity of the Xingu river in the Amazonian basin. During my studies in Salzburg I developed a strong interest in broader evolutionary biology and therefore I decided to continue with Masters in both Botany and Zoology at the University of Vienna.

I first started in the Plant Ecological Genomics group with a lab rotation about gene expression plasticity in reciprocally transplanted sibling allopolyploid Dactylorhiza. This showed that genetic, non-plastic regulation is stronger in driving gene expression patterns in this allopolyploid group, in contrast to environmental influences. However several genes were identified that responded to new environmental conditions.

Since summer 2019 I started with my botanical Master work about population genetics in an European orchid complex including sibling allopolyploids that adapted to distinct environments. After obtaining a dataset of thousands of SNPs from RADseq data, I will use coalescent methods to understand in detail the evolutionary history of this group. I am particularly interested in number of origins of the allopolyploid taxa, and the role of gene flow in shaping population structure in this species complex.

 

Awards / Third-party funding

2022 - Best Plant Science Master Thesis at the University of Vienna for 2021, German Botanical Society.

 

Conference contributions

Hawranek AS, Brandrud M, Leroy T, Blischak P, Hedren M, Paun O. 2021. The impact of recurrent origins and gene flow on the genetic structure of allopolyploid marsh orchids (Dactylorhiza, Orchidaceae). Evolution 2021, USA (virtual), 21-25 June 2021 [oral presentation].
Hawranek AS, Brandrud M, Leroy T, Blischak P, Hedren M, Paun O. 2021. The impact of recurrent origins and gene flow on the genetic structure of allopolyploid marsh orchids (Dactylorhiza). PopGroup54, UK (virtual), 4-6 January 2021 [oral presentation].