Personnel

Members of the laboratory

Part of the research group in summer of 2024. From left to right, Pálína, Rafn, Arnar, Guðbjörg, Ínes and Nicinthya.

 

Arnar Palsson

Professor in bioinformatics

Faculty of Life- and Environmental Sciences

School of Engineering and Natural Sciences

University of Iceland

Tel: 525 4265

Fax: 525 4069

Electronic mail: apalsson by hi.is

Education and past training

1991-1995   BS. Biology – University of Iceland

1995-1998   MS. Biology – University of Iceland

1998-2003   Ph.D. Genetics  – North Carolina State University

2003-2006   Post doc – University of Chicago, Department of Ecology and Evolution

2006-2007   Scientist – Decode Genetics, Department of Population Genomics

Teaching

Varies by term and year.

Genomics and bioinformatics, Evolutionary biology, Developmental biology, Diversity of Life and Human genetics (further information on the University of Iceland web site).

Current lab members

Guðbjörg Ósk Jónsdóttir. Ph.D. student. Development and diversity of internal functional feeding morphology in charr.

Andreas Guðmundsson Gaehwiller. M.Sc. student. Ants in geothermal areas in Iceland.

Kenedy A. Williams. M.Sc. student. Evolution of anatomical diversity in feeding elements in salmonids.

Ruhila Goswani. M.Sc. student. Diversity in craniofacial elements by populations and sexes in salmonids.

Nína Guðrún Baldursdóttir, B.Sc. project. Natural test of plasticity in craniofacial elements of Arctic charr.

Affiliated students at University of Iceland

Han Xiao, Ph.D. student. Main supervisor Sigurður S. Snorrason. Investigating population genomics of benthic phenotypes in Arctic charr.

Marcos Lagunas, Ph.D. stduent. Main supervisor Sigurður S. Snorrason. Investigating population genomics of brown trout diversity.

More collaborators belong to the Arctic charr group.

 

Affiliated students currently working in industry.

Baldur Kristjánsson, Ph.D. student. Compensatory evolution in regulatory systems.

Celia, Thierry, Alexander, Hrafnhildur, Baldur, Dagný and Lea in June 2018.

Arnar, Baldur, Lea and Dagný in September 2017.

img_7998Arnar, Jeremy, Han, Sigríður, Sigurður and Baldur in December 2015.

Sigríður and Sigurður are PI´s in the Arctic charr group.

Johannes, Isak and Sara in December 2015.

Johannes, Isak and Sara in December 2014.

Jóhannes, Dagmar (front), Cristina (back), Hlynur, Ragnar, Daníel and Sigrún in December 2010

Dagmar, Johannes, Daniel, Sigrún and Ósk in December 2009.

Former staff

Rafn Sigurðsson. NSN summer projects, lúsmý and ants in Iceland. Summers 2023 and 2024.

Pálína B. Pálsdóttir. NSN summer project, lúsmý and ants in Iceland. Summer 2024.

Ines Eloidin. Internship student from Université Paris-Est Créteil. Comparison of dentation in Brown trout and Arctic charr. 2024.

Nicinthya Pajanissamy. Internship student from Université Paris-Est Créteil. Bioinformatic analyses of copy number variation in Arctic charr genomes. 2024.

María Ólafsdóttir. M.Sc. student. Transcriptional responses during evolution of a threshold character and its genetic assimilation. 2023.

 

Nína Guðrún Baldursdóttir, summer project on lúsmý, fruitflies and ants. 2023.

Guðfinna Dís Sveinsdóttir, summer project on lúsmý, fruitflies and ants. 2023.

Ruhila S. Internship student. Variation in histone genes in salmonids. Summers 2022 and 2023.

Marco Mancini. M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Mariana Tamayo). Ants in Iceland. Graduated 2022.

Guðbjörg Ósk Jónsdóttir. M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Sarah E. Steele). Craniofacial diversity in charr. Graduated 2022.

Charleen Ruppert. Internship student from University of Bremen (co-supervised by Sigríður R. Franzdóttir). Brain morphology in Arctic charr. 2022.

Kristján Þórhallsson. M.Sc. student (co-supervised by by Sarah E. Steele). Divergence and plasticity in craniofacial traits. Graduated 2022.

Laura-Marie von Elm, internship project on bone shape variation. 2022.

Sarah E. Steele, postdoc. Plasticity and divergence in growth and morphology of Arctic charr. 2018 to 2022.

Anthony Curtat. internship project. Divergence of dentrites in salmonid ecomorphs. 2022.

Samuel Tersigni. Internship student from University of Poitier. Variation in internal morphology in Arctic charr. 2022.

Nahal Eskafi, M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Sigríður R. Franzdóttir). Developmental genetics of morph separation. Graduated 2022.

Irem Dogruoglu, internship student. Population genetics of river populations of Arctic charr. 2021.

Gregoire Gaillet, internship student. Plasticity and allometry of ventral shape diversity in charr. 2021.

Sabrina Carli, internship student. Population genetics and brain size variation in Arctic charr. 2021.

Jóhanna Jacobssen, B.Sc. project. Phenotypic and developmental variation in Arctic charr. 2021.

Dagný Ásta Rúnarsdóttir, M.Sc. student (graduated 2018) and research technician. Compensatory evolution in fruitflies and plasticity in Arctic charr. 2016-2020.

Lea Jerman Plesec, bachelor student and technician. Transcriptional cooption, genotyping sex locus in charr and genomics of differentiation. 2017-2021.

Leanne Rademaekers, internship student. Plasticity and genotyping for sex locus in charr, 2020.

Mieke Luijten, internship student. Genotyping the sex locus in charr, 2019.

Sylvain Moinard, internship student. Population genomics of sympatric differentiation, 2019.

Peter Wagenhauser, internship student. Genetics of compensatory evolution, 2019.

Nese Guvencli, internship student. Genetic suppression of vestigial mutations, 2019.

Jóhannes Guðbrandsson Ph.D. student. Population genomics of arctic charr. Graduated 2019.

Celia Pradon, internship student. Sex differences and developmental changes in color, size and shape of charr, 2018.

Elif Yapici, internship student. Genetics of population variation, 2018.

Thierry Chanet, internship student. Genomics of sympatric differentiation, 2018.

Alexander Guðjónsson, summer student. Regulatory variation in charr genomes, 2018.

Hrafnhildur Agnarsdóttir, bachelor project. Evolution of DNA repair genes, 2017.

Lieke Ponsioen, internship student. Genetic and morphological variation in salmonids, 2016.

Þóra Margrét Bergsveinsdóttir, bachelor project. Genetic variation in Arctic charr, 2016.

Völundur Hafstað, bachelor and summer project. Genetic variation in Arctic charr, 2016.

Jovita Navikaitė, internship student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2016.

Jeremy Jaegers, internship student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2015.

Heiður Gestsdóttir, technician. DNA isolations, 2015.

Ragnheiður Fossdal, technician. DNA isolations 2015.

Þórhallur Helgason, summer student. LD. calculations, 2015.

Júlía Þóra Oddsdóttir, summer student. Assembler development, 2015.

Sara Eiríksdóttir Andersen, bachelor student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2014.

Ísak Már Jóhannesson, bachelor student - summer and fall projects. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2013-2014.

Daníel Óskarsson, graduate student. Population genomics - evolution of gene regulation, 2009-2013.

Dagmar Ýr Arnardóttir, masters student. Evolution of gene regulation in Drosophila. Graduated 2013.

Sigrún Reynisdóttir, research associate. Evolution of gene regulation, methylation in genomes, population genetics in arctic charr, 2008-2012.

Jetty Ramadevi, graduate student. Population genetics of Arctic charr. 2012.

Vanessa Calvo Baltanas, internship student. Age distribution and early development in arctic charr, 2012.

Baldur Kristjansson, bachelor student. Population genetics and morphology in Icelandic arctic charr, 2012.

Ragnar Óli Vilmundarson, bachelor student. Population genetics of developmental genes in arctic charr, 2011.

Cristina Bajo Santos, internship student. Parasites and MHC2-alfa variation in arctic charr from Lake Thingvallavatn, 2011.

Javier Negueruela Escudero, internship student. Population genetics of the D-loop in arctic charr from Lake Thingvallavatn, 2011.

Hlynur Bárðarsson, technician. Population genomics. 2010 to 2011.

Ósk Uzondu Ukachi Anuforo, bachelor student. Threshold characters and wing shape in Drosophila, 2009.

Marta Gomez Munoz, internship student. Population genetics of arctic charr, 2009.

Co-supervised Ph.D. students.

Sebastian Matlosz, Ph.D. 2024. Main supervisor Zophonías O. Jónsson. Methylation in early charr development.

Sum Yi Lai, Ph.D. 2024. Main supervisor Hlynur Bárðarsson at the Marine and Freshwater Institute. Investigated Atlantic salmon ecology and foodwebs in salmon rivers.

Katrín Halldórsdóttir. Ph.D. 2016. Natural selection and speciation in Atlantic cod and related cod-fish.

Sara Sigurbjörnsdóttir. Ph.D. 2015. Main supervisor Maria Leptin at EMBL. Complex cell shape: Molecular mechanisms of tracheal terminal cell development in Drosophila melanogaster.

Kalina H. Kapralova. Ph.D. 2014. Main supervisor Sigurður S. Snorrason. Study of morphogenesis and miRNA expression associated with craniofacial diversity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) morphs.