WildGen - Wildlife Genetics

The Wildlife Genetics (WildGen) research group uses genetics and genomics to investigate a wide array of questions in species of wild biodiversity. Main areas of interest are genetic applications in biodiversity conservation, and the evolutionary history of Palearctic fauna.

WildGen is the only research group at CE3C in which conservation genetics, a crucial discipline given the current catastrophic biodiversity crisis, is a core area.

Given the diversity of questions and species investigated, WildGen is a distinctive research group within CE3C, and undoubtedly contributes to enriching the research landscape of the Thematic Line (TL) to which it belongs (TL2- Evolutionary Perspectives in a Changing World).

In addition to expertise in conservation genetics, phylogeography, population genetics, molecular systematics and ecology, and the research and academic activities associated with that expertise, WildGen is also involved in field conservation and invasive species assessment projects to inform future policies and legislation for their management. Examples are an FCT project on antimicrobial resistance phylodynamics in wildlife, in collaboration with the Research Group Pathogen Biology & Global Health from TL3 and with the Research Group Conservation Ecology & Society from TL1, and a project funded by Ciências ULisboa on invasive species in Portugal, in collaboration with the Research Group Plant Functional Ecology of TL4 and with the Research Group Conservation Ecology & Society of TL1.

WildGen maintains an extensive network of international collaborations with research colleagues in Europe, Africa, and Asia.