{"id":13,"date":"2010-05-12T18:08:24","date_gmt":"2010-05-12T18:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2026-02-17T15:11:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:11:26","slug":"personnel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/personnel\/","title":{"rendered":"Research group"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the laboratory<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Part of the research group in summer of 2024. From left to right, P\u00e1l\u00edna, Rafn, Arnar, Gu\u00f0bj\u00f6rg, \u00cdnes and Nicinthya.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Arnar Palsson<\/p>\n

Professor in bioinformatics<\/p>\n

Faculty of Life- and Environmental Sciences<\/p>\n

School of Engineering and Natural Sciences<\/p>\n

University of Iceland<\/p>\n

Tel: 525 4265<\/p>\n

Fax: 525 4069<\/p>\n

Electronic mail: apalsson by hi.is<\/p>\n

Education and past training<\/strong><\/p>\n

1991-1995\u00a0\u00a0 BS. Biology \u2013 University of Iceland<\/p>\n

1995-1998\u00a0\u00a0 MS. Biology \u2013 University of Iceland<\/p>\n

1998-2003\u00a0\u00a0 Ph.D. Genetics\u00a0 \u2013 North Carolina State University<\/p>\n

2003-2006\u00a0\u00a0 Post doc \u2013 University of Chicago, Department of Ecology and Evolution<\/p>\n

2006-2007\u00a0\u00a0 Scientist \u2013 Decode Genetics, Department of Population Genomics<\/p>\n

Teaching<\/strong><\/p>\n

Varies by term and year.<\/p>\n

Genomics and bioinformatics, Evolutionary biology, Developmental biology, Diversity of Life and Human genetics (further information on the University of Iceland web site<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Current lab members
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gu\u00f0bj\u00f6rg \u00d3sk J\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir. Ph.D. student. Development and diversity of internal functional feeding morphology in charr.<\/p>\n

Marcos Mancini. Ph.D. student. Ants in geothermal areas and on islands.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Kirshner. Ph.D. student. Pan-genomes of Arctic charr.<\/p>\n

Ruhila Goswami. M.Sc. student. Diversity in craniofacial elements by populations and sexes in salmonids.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Affiliated students at University of Iceland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Han Xiao, Ph.D. student. Main supervisor Sigur\u00f0ur S. Snorrason. Investigating population genomics of benthic phenotypes in Arctic charr.<\/p>\n

More collaborators belong to the Arctic charr group.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Affiliated students currently working in industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baldur Kristj\u00e1nsson, Ph.D. student. Compensatory evolution in regulatory systems.<\/p>\n

Marcos Lagunas, Ph.D. student. Main supervisor Sigur\u00f0ur S. Snorrason. Population genomics of brown trout diversity.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Celia, Thierry, Alexander, Hrafnhildur, Baldur, Dagn\u00fd and Lea in June 2018.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Arnar, Baldur, Lea and Dagn\u00fd in September 2017.<\/p>\n

\"img_7998\"<\/a>Arnar, Jeremy, Han, Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur, Sigur\u00f0ur and Baldur in December 2015.<\/p>\n

Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur and Sigur\u00f0ur are PI\u00b4s in the Arctic charr group.<\/p>\n

\"Johannes,<\/a>

Johannes, Isak and Sara in December 2014.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"J\u00f3hannes,<\/a>

Dagmar, Johannes, Daniel, Sigr\u00fan and \u00d3sk in December 2009.<\/p><\/div>\n

Former staff<\/h5>\n

Andreas Gu\u00f0mundsson Gaehwiller. M.Sc. student. Ants in geothermal areas in Iceland. Graduated 2026. (cosupervised by Marco Mancini)<\/p>\n

Kenedy A. Williams. M.Sc. student. Evolution of anatomical diversity in feeding elements in salmonids. Graduated 2026. (cosupervised by Gu\u00f0bj\u00f6rg \u00d3sk J\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir)<\/p>\n

Charles Varin, internship project. Population genetics of Arctic charr on small geographic scale. 2025.<\/p>\n

Ghislain D\u00b4abovile, internship project. Variation in growth and color during development in charr. 2025.<\/p>\n

N\u00edna Gu\u00f0r\u00fan Baldursd\u00f3ttir, summer project on l\u00fasm\u00fd, fruitflies and ants. 2023. Summer job and B.Sc. project. Natural test of plasticity in craniofacial elements of Arctic charr. 2025.<\/p>\n

D\u00f3ra R\u00fan Sigur\u00f0ard\u00f3ttir, summer project. Ants and l\u00fasm\u00fd, 2025<\/p>\n

Rafn Sigur\u00f0sson. NSN summer projects, l\u00fasm\u00fd and ants in Iceland. Summers 2023, 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n

\u00cdnes Eloidin, internship project. Craniofacial diversity in Brown trout and Arctic charr. 2024.<\/p>\n

Nicinthya Pajanissamy, internship project. Analyses of histone gene families in the genomes of Arctic charr. 2024.<\/p>\n

P\u00e1l\u00edna B. P\u00e1lsd\u00f3ttir. NSN summer project, l\u00fasm\u00fd and ants in Iceland. Summer 2024.<\/p>\n

Ines Eloidin. Internship student from Universit\u00e9 Paris-Est Cr\u00e9teil. Comparison of dentation in Brown trout and Arctic charr. 2024.<\/p>\n

Nicinthya Pajanissamy. Internship student from Universit\u00e9 Paris-Est Cr\u00e9teil. Bioinformatic analyses of copy number variation in Arctic charr genomes. 2024.<\/p>\n

Mar\u00eda \u00d3lafsd\u00f3ttir. M.Sc. student. Transcriptional responses during evolution of a threshold character and its genetic assimilation. 2023.<\/p>\n

Gu\u00f0finna D\u00eds Sveinsd\u00f3ttir, summer project on l\u00fasm\u00fd, fruitflies and ants. 2023.<\/p>\n

Ruhila S (now Goswami). Internship student. Variation in histone genes in salmonids. Summers 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Marco Mancini. M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Mariana Tamayo). Ants in Iceland. Graduated 2022.<\/p>\n

Gu\u00f0bj\u00f6rg \u00d3sk J\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir. M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Sarah E. Steele). Craniofacial diversity in charr. Graduated 2022.<\/p>\n

Charleen Ruppert. Internship student from University of Bremen (co-supervised by Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur R. Franzd\u00f3ttir). Brain morphology in Arctic charr. 2022.<\/p>\n

Kristj\u00e1n \u00de\u00f3rhallsson. M.Sc. student (co-supervised by by Sarah E. Steele). Divergence and plasticity in craniofacial traits. Graduated 2022.<\/p>\n

Laura-Marie von Elm, internship project on bone shape variation. 2022.<\/p>\n

Sarah E. Steele, postdoc. Plasticity and divergence in growth and morphology of Arctic charr. 2018 to 2022.<\/p>\n

Anthony Curtat. internship project. Divergence of dentrites in salmonid ecomorphs. 2022.<\/p>\n

Samuel Tersigni. Internship student from University of Poitier. Variation in internal morphology in Arctic charr. 2022.<\/p>\n

Nahal Eskafi, M.Sc. student (cosupervised by Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur R. Franzd\u00f3ttir). Developmental genetics of morph separation. Graduated 2022.<\/p>\n

Irem Dogruoglu, internship student. Population genetics of river populations of Arctic charr. 2021.<\/p>\n

Gregoire Gaillet, internship student. Plasticity and allometry of ventral shape diversity in charr. 2021.<\/p>\n

Sabrina Carli, internship student. Population genetics and brain size variation in Arctic charr. 2021.<\/p>\n

J\u00f3hanna Jacobssen, B.Sc. project. Phenotypic and developmental variation in Arctic charr. 2021.<\/p>\n

Dagn\u00fd \u00c1sta R\u00fanarsd\u00f3ttir, M.Sc. student (graduated 2018) and research technician. Compensatory evolution in fruitflies and plasticity in Arctic charr. 2016-2020.<\/p>\n

Lea Jerman Plesec, bachelor student and technician. Transcriptional cooption, genotyping sex locus in charr and genomics of differentiation. 2017-2021.<\/p>\n

Leanne Rademaekers, internship student. Plasticity and genotyping for sex locus in charr, 2020.<\/p>\n

Mieke Luijten, internship student. Genotyping the sex locus in charr, 2019.<\/p>\n

Sylvain Moinard, internship student. Population genomics of sympatric differentiation, 2019.<\/p>\n

Peter Wagenhauser, internship student. Genetics of compensatory evolution, 2019.<\/p>\n

Nese Guvencli, internship student. Genetic suppression of vestigial <\/em>mutations, 2019.<\/p>\n

J\u00f3hannes Gu\u00f0brandsson Ph.D. student. Population genomics of arctic charr. Graduated 2019.<\/p>\n

Celia Pradon, internship student. Sex differences and developmental changes in color, size and shape of charr, 2018.<\/p>\n

Elif Yapici, internship student. Genetics of population variation, 2018.<\/p>\n

Thierry Chanet, internship student. Genomics of sympatric differentiation, 2018.<\/p>\n

Alexander Gu\u00f0j\u00f3nsson, summer student. Regulatory variation in charr genomes, 2018.<\/p>\n

Hrafnhildur Agnarsd\u00f3ttir, bachelor project. Evolution of DNA repair genes, 2017.<\/p>\n

Lieke Ponsioen, internship student. Genetic and morphological variation in salmonids, 2016.<\/p>\n

\u00de\u00f3ra Margr\u00e9t Bergsveinsd\u00f3ttir, bachelor project. Genetic variation in Arctic charr, 2016.<\/p>\n

V\u00f6lundur Hafsta\u00f0, bachelor and summer project. Genetic variation in Arctic charr, 2016.<\/p>\n

Jovita Navikait\u0117,\u00a0internship student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2016.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Jaegers,\u00a0internship student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2015.<\/p>\n

Hei\u00f0ur Gestsd\u00f3ttir, technician. DNA isolations, 2015.<\/p>\n

Ragnhei\u00f0ur Fossdal, technician. DNA isolations 2015.<\/p>\n

\u00de\u00f3rhallur Helgason, summer student. LD. calculations, 2015.<\/p>\n

J\u00fal\u00eda \u00de\u00f3ra Oddsd\u00f3ttir, summer student. Assembler development, 2015.<\/p>\n

Sara Eir\u00edksd\u00f3ttir Andersen, bachelor student. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2014.<\/p>\n

\u00cdsak M\u00e1r J\u00f3hannesson, bachelor student - summer and fall projects. Population genetics of Arctic charr, 2013-2014.<\/p>\n

Dan\u00edel \u00d3skarsson, graduate student. Population genomics - evolution of gene regulation, 2009-2013.<\/p>\n

Dagmar \u00ddr Arnard\u00f3ttir, masters student. Evolution of gene regulation in Drosophila<\/em>. Graduated 2013.<\/p>\n

Sigr\u00fan Reynisd\u00f3ttir, research associate. Evolution of gene regulation, methylation in genomes, population genetics in arctic charr, 2008-2012.<\/p>\n

Jetty Ramadevi, graduate student. Population genetics of Arctic charr. 2012.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Calvo Baltanas, internship student. Age distribution and early development in arctic charr, 2012.<\/p>\n

Baldur Kristjansson, bachelor student. Population genetics and morphology in Icelandic arctic charr, 2012.<\/p>\n

Ragnar \u00d3li Vilmundarson, bachelor student. Population genetics of developmental genes in arctic charr, 2011.<\/p>\n

Cristina Bajo Santos, internship student. Parasites and MHC2-alfa<\/em> variation in arctic charr from Lake Thingvallavatn, 2011.<\/p>\n

Javier Negueruela Escudero, internship student. Population genetics of the D-loop in arctic charr from Lake Thingvallavatn, 2011.<\/p>\n

Hlynur B\u00e1r\u00f0arsson, technician. Population genomics. 2010 to 2011.<\/p>\n

\u00d3sk Uzondu Ukachi Anuforo, bachelor student. Threshold characters and wing shape in Drosophila<\/em>, 2009.<\/p>\n

Marta Gomez Munoz, internship student. Population genetics of arctic charr, 2009.<\/p>\n

Co-supervised Ph.D. students.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clara Anne Th\u00e9r\u00e8se J\u00e9gousse. April 2025. Main supervisors dr. Vigg\u00f3 \u00de\u00f3r Marteinsson and dr. Mar\u00eda Gu\u00f0j\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir. \u00d6rverusamf\u00e9l\u00f6g \u00e1 \u00cdslandsmi\u00f0um ranns\u00f6ku\u00f0 me\u00f0 v\u00ed\u00f0erf\u00f0amengja ra\u00f0greiningum. Exploration of microbial communities from Icelandic marine waters using metagenomics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Marina de la C\u00e1mara, Phd. January 2025. Main supervisor Kalina H. Kapralova. Erf\u00f0amengjafr\u00e6\u00f0ilegur grunnur mismunandi a\u00f0lagana me\u00f0al n\u00e1skyldra afbrig\u00f0a bleikju. The genomic basis of adaptive differentiation between closely related morphs of Arctic charr<\/a><\/p>\n

Valger\u00f0ur J. Hjaltal\u00edn, Ph.D. November 2024. Main supervisor Margr\u00e9t H. \u00d6gmundsd\u00f3ttir. Hlutverk sj\u00e1lfs\u00e1tsgensins ATG7 \u00ed hryggd\u00fdrum. The role of the key autophagy gene ATG7 in vertebrates.<\/p>\n

Sum Yi Lai, Ph.D. August 2024. Main supervisor Hlynur B\u00e1r\u00f0arsson at the Marine and Freshwater Institute. Breytileiki \u00ed f\u00e6\u00f0uvef Atlantshafslax \u00ed t\u00edma og r\u00fami \/ Temporal and spatial differences in the food web of Atlantic salmon rivers: Trophic relationships of Atlantic salmon.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Matlosz, Ph.D. June 2024. Main supervisor Zophon\u00edas O. J\u00f3nsson. Fj\u00f6lbreytileiki DNA methylmerkinga \u00ed beinfiskum me\u00f0 \u00e1herslu \u00e1 afbrig\u00f0i bleikju (Salvelinus alpinus<\/em>) \u00ed \u00deingvallavatni \/ Diversity of DNA methylation signals in teleosts with focus on the sympatric Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus<\/em>) morphs of Thingvallavatn<\/p>\n

Katr\u00edn Halld\u00f3rsd\u00f3ttir. Ph.D. 2016. Natural selection and speciation in Atlantic cod and related cod-fish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sara Sigurbj\u00f6rnsd\u00f3ttir. Ph.D. 2015. Main supervisor Maria Leptin at EMBL. Complex cell shape: Molecular mechanisms of tracheal terminal cell development in Drosophila melanogaster<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Kalina H. Kapralova. Ph.D. 2014. Main supervisor Sigur\u00f0ur S. Snorrason. Study of morphogenesis and miRNA <\/a>expression associated with craniofacial diversity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus<\/em>) morphs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Members of the laboratory   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 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":125,"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1547,"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/1547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uni.hi.is\/apalsson\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}