Katie Emelianova, PhD

My research interests lie broadly in the diversification of plant taxa through space and time, and how genomic and ecological factors can explain past diversification and predict future adaptive potential. My past research has focused on topics including polyploidy, hybridization and comparative genomics, all underpinned by a strong basis in bioinformatics, with an emphasis on clean code and reproducible research.

My current work focuses on an adaptive radiation of the persimmon genus Diospyros on New Calendonia, and the role of transposable elements in driving diversification by creating new variation such as structural variants. Multiple events of long distance dispersal have brought Diospyros to New Caledonia, but not all resulted in a burst of diversification. I am interested in one clade which underwent explosive adaptive radiation and divergent and recurrent edaphic adaptation; evidence that genomes of radiating clades show substantial transposable element expansion presents an exciting opportunity to clarify the role of transposable elements in driving adaptive radiations, and to unpick the mechanisms by which they do so.

Other projects I am currently interested in are focused on comparative genomics of Cyrtandra and Begonia, two highly speciose genera with close relatives that are strikingly species-poor. Here, genome wide patterns of selection are used to test for signatures of relaxed selection in branches leading to large genera relative to small genera. This work will contribute to our understanding of why some taxa speciate readily, and others do not.

Awards / Third-party funding

2022: Marie Curie Fellowship (EU Commission) with Host Ovidiu Paun (University of Vienna) - "StrucRadiation: The role of structural variation in adaptive radiatio" (ca €180K).

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