Mike Bruford

I am a molecular ecologist interested in studying the demographic and evolutionary processes in endangered species. My group focuses on understanding the determinants of genome diversity and structure over a variety of spatio-temporal scales, from examining the movements of individuals within territories to studying the impacts of social structure on genetic diversity in fragmented ecosystems to studying species throughout their range with continent-wide dispersal patterns. We orient our projects towards an understanding of the basic processes governing the evolution of endangered species and place substantial emphasis on the provision of data and recommendations to management authorities for action and policy development. We study a combination of elusive wild species (e.g. orang-utans in Borneo, see below) and model species such as livestock breeds whose demographic history is often well understood and where genome resources are abundant. We use methods such as forensic DNA profiling through to whole genome sequencing and we integrate these data with landscape analysis (GIS) and genealogical modeling in an effort to provide comprehensive information for biodiversity management and conservation.