Using genomics to assess wildlife health at the genomic, cellular, and regulatory levels
The accelerating pace of global change presents profound challenges for wildlife health and survival. From habitat loss and climate change to pollution and emerging diseases, threatened populations face a host of pressures that jeopardise their resilience. Conservation biology has traditionally focused on genetics, but advances in genomic sciences now offer unprecedented tools to understand how species adapt, persist, or decline in the face of these threats. For scientists working in species recovery, these approaches also provide the evidence needed to design more effective interventions for example by optimising breeding or translocation programs. Whether diagnosing hidden genetic risks, uncovering the environmental imprints in cells, or measuring recent environmental exposures through epigenetics, molecular advances provide tools that can guide populations toward persistence in an increasingly uncertain world.
This event will explore how genomics can move conservation beyond traditional markers of diversity, enabling us to assess health at the genomic, cellular, and regulatory levels. Speakers will focus on innovative tools developed in biomedical research, and how these can be integrated to offer insight into wildlife health, from the hihi in Aotearoa New Zealand to the sea turtle in Cabo Verde.
Speakers
- Dr Patricia Brekke, Institute of Zoology, ZSL - Genomic health and reproduction in conservation
- Dr Charley Yen, Queen Mary University of London
- Dr Alex Cagan, University of Cambridge and Wellcome Sanger Institute
Find out more about the event and other future events here.
