People

Principal investigators

Professor Terry Burke

University of Sheffield, UK (Sheffield)
Sheffield staff page
t.a.burke@sheffield.ac.uk

University of Groningen, UK (RUG)
RUG staff page
h.l.dugdale@rug.nl

Professor Jan Komdeur

University of Groningen, NL (RUG)
RUG staff page
j.komdeur@rug.nl

University of East Anglia, UK (UEA)
UEA staff page
david.richardson@uea.ac.uk


PhD students

CSC PhD (2024-2028) Quantifying ecological and evolutionary forces shaping social effects on senescence Based at University of Groningen. Supervised by Hannah Dugdale, David Richardson and Jan Komdeur and. Supported by Terry Burke and Nature Seychelles.

CSC PhD (2023-2027) Why senescence and cooperative breeding emerge. Based at University of Groningen. Supervised by Jan Komdeur and Hannah Dugdale. Supported by David Richardson, Terry Burke and Nature Seychelles.

s.dong@rug.nl 

NRPDTP PhD (2023-2027) The intergenerational consequences of biological age in a vertebrate population. Based at University of East Anglia. Supervised by David Richardson and David Monk. Supported by Martin Taylor, Hannah Dugdale and Nature Seychelles.

c.aikens@uea.ac.uk

Sergio González-Mollinedo

RUG/MAQ funded double-degree PhD (2022-2026). Genomics of inbreeding depression, senescence and mitochondrial performance. Supervised by Hannah Dugdale, David Richardson and Simon Griffith. Supported by Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke and Nature Seychelles.
s.a.gonzalez.mollinedo@rug.nl 

NRPDTP PhD (2021–2025) Metagenomics of gut microbiome in ageing, fitness, and mortality within an isolated vertebrate population. Based at University of East Anglia. Supervised by David Richardson, Hannah Dugdale, and Falk Hildebrand. Supported by Terry Burke, Jan Komdeur, and Nature Seychelles. 

Chuen.Lee@uea.ac.uk

Sheffield Scholarship (2022–2025). Genomics of inbreeding in Seychelles warblers. Based at Sheffield University. Supervised by Terry Burke and David Richardson. Supported by Hannah Dugdale, Jan Komdeur, and Nature Seychelles.
kgllee1@sheffield.ac.uk

Alessandro Pinto

NERC PhD (2022-2026). Understanding lifelong and multigenerational inbreeding effects in the Seychelles warbler. Supervised by David Richardson, Cock van Oosterhout and Hannah Dugdale. Supported by Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke and Nature Seychelles.
A.Pinto@uea.ac.uk 

RUG/MAQ funded double-degree PhD (2021-2025) Fitness benefits and heritability of long-term partnerships.
Based at the University of Groningen and Macquarie University (AUS). Supervised by Hannah Dugdale, Simon Griffith, and David Richardson. Supported by Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke, and Nature Seychelles.
f.j.d.speelman@rug.nl

Claire Tsui

RUG/UEA funded double degree PhD (2022-2026). Quantitative genetics and genomics of senescence. Based in the University of Groningen and University of East Anglia (UEA). Supervised by Hannah Dugdale and David Richardson. Supported by Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke and Nature Seychelles.
l.s.tsui@rug.nl


Molecular support

Research assistant (2004-present) Marco runs the molecular sexing and genotyping of the Seychelles warbler dataset
Based at RUG. Supports the groups of Jan Komdeur and Hannah Dugdale
University of Groningen staff page
m.van.der.velde@rug.nl


Analytical Support

Dr Maaike Versteegh

Research assistant (2020-present). Maaike manages the Seychelles warbler database and offers analytical support to Seychelles warbler project members.

Based at RUG. Supports the groups of Jan Komdeur and Hannah Dugdale

University of Groningen staff page
m.a.versteegh@rug.nl 


Alumni

Meet the past members of our group.