
Meet the Junior Board

Jana Riederer (Chair)
I am a third year PhD student at the University of Groningen. In my PhD project, I aim to combine theoretical and empirical approaches to study how social systems can shape evolvability, i.e. the capacity of a biological system to undergo adaptive evolution. For example, I explore how mating systems affect diversification in adaptive radiations such as that of Anolis lizards. Other topics that I am interested in include: genotype-phenotype maps, mutation rate evolution, the role of phenotypic plasticity in evolution, and sexual selection!

Victoria Terry (Secretary)
I am a PhD student interested in the ecological and molecular dynamics of AMF-host interactions. I am investigating the presence and functionality of interactions between AMF and cyanobacteria. I am also working on optimizing techniques for analyzing nutrients in the mycorrhizal symbiosis with the use of fluorescent nanoparticles (quantum dots).

Nicky Faber (General Member)
I’m in the second year of my PhD at Wageningen University, researching the evolutionary aspects of gene drive technology. I’m using Drosophila melanogaster as a model species, and I do modelling and genetic data analysis as well. In my spare time, I enjoy long distance hiking, reading, chess, and hanging out with my guinea pigs.

Sam von der Dunk (General Member)
I'm a theoretical biologist (4th year PhD), currently working on computational modelling of eukaryogenesis with Paulien Hogeweg and Berend Snel in Utrecht. While my research is done entirely on computers, I pretend to be a "real" biologist by birding in my spare time.

Yannick Woudstra (General Member)
Biological diversity is one of the most fascinating phenomena in our world. I love exploring the diversity of lifeforms and species even on the sidewalk in front of my house. This is why I started a career in plant evolution research, which has already taken me from Groningen to London, Madagascar, Barcelona, Alaska and Sweden, among other places. I started out with plant taxonomy, branched off into phylogenomics and now include evolutionary ecology in my curriculum. After studying poppies, subtropical succulents (aloes) and boreal conifers, I am now back to more temperate plants: dandelions. At the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) I now study the urban evolution of these plants.