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YOUR CART

CV

Since 2015, I have published 49 peer-reviewed papers (26 as first author and 8 as last author) in journals, such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2), Current Biology (1), Conservation Letters (1), Evolution (4), Proceedings of the Royal Society B (1), Methods in Ecology and Evolution (1), Journal of Animal Ecology (1), Molecular Ecology (2), Functional Ecology (2), and a brief letter to the editor in Nature (1). I have 25 publications without my PhD supervisor.                          H-index = 19  (02/2024; Google Scholar)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2021 - 25     Postdoc Fellow
                    Ghent University, ​Dept. Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab (Ghent, Belgium).
                    Faculty Advisor: Matthew Shawkey​
2019 - 20    
Postdoc Fellow (visiting)
                    Macquarie University, ​Dept. Biological Sciences (Sydney, Australia).
                    Faculty Advisor: Martin Whiting & Rick Shine
2018 - 21    
Postdoc Fellow
                   University of Antwerp, Dept. Biology, Functional Morphology Lab, (Wilrijk, Belgium).
                   Faculty Advisor: Raoul van Damme
2017 - 18   
Postdoc Fellow
                   Harvard University, Dept. Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, (Cambridge, MA, USA).
                   
Faculty Advisors: Jonathan B. Losos and Duncan J. Irschick (UMass, Amherst)
 
EDUCATION
2017          Ph.D. in Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).

                 Dissertation: On the evolution of chemical communication in lizards.
                 Faculty Advisors: Raoul Van Damme and Katleen Huyghe
2012         MSc. in Behaviour and Evolutionary Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).

                 Thesis: The link between immunity and body colouration in lacertid lizards.
                 Faculty Advisor: Raoul Van Damme
2010         BSc. in Biology, University of Antwerp (Belgium).


FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS & HONORS
Major Fellowships (>€720k)
2021            Senior Postdoctoral fellowship (4y), The Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (€350,000)
2018            ​Junior Postdoctoral fellowship (3y), The Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (€320,000)
2017            Postdoctoral fellowship (1y), Belgian American Education Foundation (BAEF) ($55,000)


Grants (>€280k)
2023            International Event Grant, The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) ($2,000)
2023            Scientific Meeting Grant, The Company of Biologists (£2,500) 
2023            Centennial Grant, The Society for Experimental Biology (£500)
2021            International Francqui Grant (co-PI; PI: R. Van Damme), The Francqui Foundation (€42,800)
2021            ​Young Researcher Grant for Interuniversity Initiatives, University of Antwerp (€4,000)
2019            International Research Visit Abroad (1y), The Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (€19,800)
2019            ​Research Grant (3y), Special Research Fund of the University of Antwerp (€205,000) 
                   Project on: "Evolution of cognition and personality in island lizards" as co-PI (PI: Van Damme) 
2018            ​Early Career Grant, National Geographic Society (NGS) ($3,823)
                   Project on: "Food specialisation and adaptive divergence of head shape in island lizards" as PI


Awards
2019            Travel Award, The Royal Belgian Zoological Society (RBZS) (€500)
2019            Travel Award, Leopold III fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation (€2,000)
2018            Barbour Grant, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology ($2,000)
2018            Carl Gans Conference Award, Gans Collections and Charitable Fund ($1,200)
2018            Young Researcher Travelling Grant, Special Research Fund of the University of Antwerp (€1,138)
2017            Travel Award, The Company of Biologists (€1,600)
2015            ​Young Researcher Travelling Grant, Special Research Fund of the University of Antwerp (€1,050)


Prizes of Academic Recognition
2021            Research Council Prize: Applied & Exact Sciences, University of Antwerp (€5,000),
2018            Postdoctoral Award for Professional Development, Harvard University ($600)

  ​
ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
2023            Head Organiser, First International Congress on Rapid Evolution in the Anthropocene, (Antwerp) Belgium
2020
            
Chair, Adaptive Evolution session, World Congress of Herpetology, (Dunedin) New Zealand

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Editor for :
  • Biology Letters, Editorial Board Member (2017 - now)
  • Journal of Zoology, Editorial Board Member (2017 - 2025)
  • Belgian Journal of Zoology, Editorial Board Member (2018 - now)
  • Acta Herpetologica, Associate Editor (2017- 2025)
  • Behaviour, Special Issue Editor (2021)
 Reviewer for over 60 journals with 113 verified peer reviews. Awarded Top 1% Peer Reviewer in 2018 (Clarivate)
 
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