Emília Santos

@mbarluenga.bsky.social has a bsky handle as well, but I should have kept quiet as I want those data loggers first!!

The molecular evolution of vertebrate organs Nature Ecology & Evolution - This Review discusses recent advances in the molecular evolution of vertebrate organs, including rates of evolution of organs and cell types, molecular mechanisms...

Our internal organs are evolutionary marvels. New technologies are transforming our understanding of the evolution of vertebrate organs. You can find more by reading here:
rdcu.be/e5EgU
#EvoBio #EvoDevo 🐟🦎🐢🦇🐊🦜

We have a postdoc position available. Please forward to anyone who may be interested.

Selection-driven color variation in the aposematic strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio Aguilar-Gómez et al. use exome sequencing of 347 strawberry poison frogs to uncover the genetic basis of color variation. They identify that kit, ttc39b, and bco1 underlie blue-red, yellow-red, and gr...

The last chapter of my PhD is finally out !!!! In the same species, on neighboring islands, we see radically different warning colors emerge. Evolution in action:
Selection-driven color variation in the aposematic strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...

I must give a very special mention to Alexandria Volkening and @bertaverd.bsky.social, my dear collaborators who were endlessly patient with me, coached me through the writing, and taught me everything I know about mathematical modelling. Now let’s have some fun! 3/3

Getting this grant was a true team effort. I’m most grateful to my research group, who generated all the beautiful preliminary data and keeps telling me that “any fin is possible”. I also want to thank my collaborators and colleagues for the coaching, endless drafts and mock interviews. 2/3

Very happy to share that I have been awarded an ERC CoG to build predictive and mechanistic models of pigment pattern development and evolution across cichlids!! 🐠🎨 I've been dreaming about this for a long time, and I’m incredibly excited that we can now pursue it in full. #ERCCoG @erc.europa.eu 1/3

Shades of blue and red in a slice through an immuno stained brain showing some deliciously lovely looking mushroom body lobes - ripe for investigation during a funded PhD - and the central complex. Image credit: Dr Max Farnworth

🚨RA/PhD position available in evolutionary neurobiology 🚨

Working on a deep dive into circuit changes during mushroom body expansion in Heliconius butterflies @camzoology.bsky.social

- employment benefits
- 4 years funding
- 1000% fun

Deadline: 14/1/2026

Details:
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

A UK chalk stream with the water crowfoot in flow, and hemlock water dropwort on the bank.

One of the ERC REFRESH experiments underway. Experimental mesocosms are being used to study the biological responses to different forms of dissolved organic matter.

UK freshwater streams are rich in biological diversity, including damselflies such as this beautiful demoiselle

JOB OPPORTUNITY! Senior Researcher in Freshwater Environmental Genetics to work with us on the ERC REFRESH Programme studying the role of dissolved organic matter in freshwater ecosystems shorturl.at/zOajg @pennyjohnes.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social @ercrefresh.bsky.social @danread.bsky.social

Insertion of an invading retrovirus regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish For over a century, evolutionary biologists have been motivated to understand the mechanisms through which organisms adapt to their environments. Coloration and pigmentation are remarkably variable wi...

I am so excited to share new work on a TE insertion that regulates iridescence in swordtails, led by fantastic grad student @nadiahaghani.bsky.social and with help from many coauthors! In a time that has been so difficult to navigate, this & other projects have kept my spirits up: shorturl.at/NE65A

🚨 We're hiring! 🚨 Our lab at the University of Málaga, Spain🇪🇸 is looking for a bioinformatician researcher for a postdoc position (1+1 years). Check the ad, and if you're interested, get in touch!
📅 Starting date early 2026, with some flexibility.
🙏Please, RT!

New preprint led by the brilliant @aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social on cichlid brain diversification, fgf8a signalling and regulatory divergence with TEs on the mix! All part of a wonderful collaboration with @ebablab.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

@camzoology.bsky.social

Interested in understanding how new cell types evolve? Consider joining our group for a PhD!

Postgraduate Cambridge University Scholarship | Gates Cambridge A fully funded graduate education for future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

If you are from the US and interested in applying for a PhD with me (or anyone else @camzoology.bsky.social @cambridgebiosci.bsky.social), your deadline for the gates scholarship is October 15!
(You’ll need to write a research proposal, so contact PIs now) www.gatescambridge.org/programme/th...

Symposium in Lund September 25th The cellular roots of evolutionary change Sep 25 14:30 - 17:00 Blå hallen, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, Lund How does cell- and developmental biology improve our understanding of the evolutionary process? Join us for an afternoon of discussions about cells, development and evolution. Program 14:30 Introduction 14:40 Arild Husby, Plasticity of a life history trade-off: from GRN to high level phenotypes 15:10 Markéta Kaucká, Cell type evolution 15:40 Coffee break 16:00 Gunter Wagner, From cells to tissues and organs: nothing in evolutionary biology makes sense except in the light of cell biology 16:30 Emilia Santos, Interplay between genetics and phenotypic plasticity in the adaptation to novel environments Bonus Sep 26: 09:00 Robin Pranter, Thesis defense - Neural crest cells and the evolution of a phenotypic syndrome Lund University

How does cell end developmental biology inform our understanding of evolution? Join us for an afternoon of discussion about #cells, #development, #plasticity and #evolution.
Zoomlink Sep 25th: lu-se.zoom.us/j/62473328732
Zoomlink Sep 26th: lu-se.zoom.us/j/67411449026
#EvoDevo @biologylu.bsky.social

Multicolored CT model of a fossil cichlid skeleton. Image credit: Austin Babut (project technician).

Do you like cichlids? Fossils? Fossil cichlids? Would you like to study them as part of a graduate degree at the University of Michigan, joining an NSF-funded project? Get in touch.

I am recruiting 1-2 graduate students (M.S. or Ph.D. track) to join my lab at @psychualberta.bsky.social in Fall 2026! Please share widely, and if you are interested in endocrinology, animal behavior, neuroscience, and/or seasonal biology, I would love to chat! 🐟🧠🧬🍂

Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish Abstract. Sensory adaptation is widely hypothesized to drive ecological speciation, yet empirical evidence from natural populations undergoing early stage

Very proud of this extremely collaborative piece: academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Here, we show that divergence in visual systems - in response to differences in the light environment - leads to rapid divergence in sexually selected colour traits. Work brilliantly led by Madeleine Carruthers. 🐟👀🎨

Now published @natecoevo.nature.com with @annika-nichols.bsky.social, our latest on the evolution of 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 across 𝟲𝟬 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 of cichlid fishes! doi.org/10.1038/s415...
with members of the @schierlab.bsky.social and Salzburger labs, as well as the burgeoning Shafer lab @uoftcellsysbiol.bsky.social

Point of View: To be, or not to be, part-time in academia Part-time working can be beneficial for individual academics, and also for academia as a whole.

Sinead English discusses part-time and flexible working in academia at #ESEB2025 - I'm really looking forward to reading this article: elifesciences.org/articles/106...

Unfortunately I cannot be at #ESEB2025, one of my favourite conferences, but the lab is well represented with @aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social presenting her work today on S29 @3.45pm on Transposable elements and nervous and sensory system diversification in cichlid fishes.
@eseb2025.bsky.social

Today @englishse.bsky.social will be at #ESEB2025 discussing the challenges and opportunities for flexible and inclusive working patterns in academia💪🏼Join in the discussion on S11 Room 122+123 @ 2.30pm! @eseb2025.bsky.social

Taking a closer look at life Incredible images created by our scientists using advanced microscopes are helping to drive biological discovery

Check the beautiful microscopy work at @camzoology.bsky.social @cambridgebiosci.bsky.social with a very special cichlid fish contribution from @aleksandra-marconi.bsky.social

www.cam.ac.uk/stories/camb...

Check it out!!

🐟 I’ve been herring all about it!
Fish satellite symposia speaker talks at #PASEDB

Invited speaker: @fishevodevogeno.bsky.social

Organizers: @nakamuralab.bsky.social @patyschneider22.bsky.social & Joaquín Letelier

Register: evodevo.wildapricot.org/event-6007396

🚨Registration for the UK #EvoDevo meeting is open! Join us on July 11th in London to enjoy an exciting day of talks, posters, friends, and superb science!
-Registration (only £5!): shorturl.at/9cQGL
-More info: londonevodevo.ac.uk

Latest from the lab: a review led by @jamesehammond.bsky.social on the evolvability of vertebral counts and the developmental processes that make it possible.

Terrific and honest perspectives from several outstanding Scientists including three from the #zebrafish community:
@hammofish.bsky.social
@emiliapsantos.bsky.social
@buckleylab.bsky.social

Give them a follow and amplify their voices 🙏 🧪

Point of View: To be, or not to be, part-time in academia Part-time working can be beneficial for individual academics, and also for academia as a whole.

In elifesciences.org/articles/106..., @englishse.bsky.social and colleagues discuss the advantages of working part-time, and outline what individuals, employers and funders can do to promote and support part-time working in academia. @elife.bsky.social

Something a little different - this on working part time in academic research. Some of the pleasures but also the challenges. Was lucky to work with some brilliant people on this and we had a great experience with @elife.bsky.social

Working part-time in #academia can be a means for some to enhance well-being, inclusivity, and career sustainability. Here, six researchers call for systemic changes to better support flexible working arrangements. #AcademicSky