Joana Isabel Meier

Dr. Joana Isabel Meier is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Tree of Life Programme of the Wellcome Sanger Institute. She holds a joint affiliation with the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, and previously served as a Branco Weiss Fellow and Bateson Research Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on evolutionary genomics, particularly the mechanisms driving rapid speciation and adaptation across diverse taxa.

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Science in Biology (insigni cum laude), University of Bern
  • Master of Science in Ecology and Evolution (summa cum laude), University of Bern
  • PhD in Ecology and Evolution (summa cum laude), University of Bern
  • Semester abroad, University of Vermont

Research Interests:
Dr. Meier investigates the genomic underpinnings of rapid speciation and adaptive radiation, emphasizing the roles of hybridization, chromosomal rearrangements, and genetic architecture. Her team studies diverse organisms including ithomiini butterflies, peacock spiders, and cichlid fishes, leveraging whole-genome sequencing to uncover how lineages diversify at accelerated rates. Key questions include the interplay between ecological opportunity and genetic exchange in adaptive radiations.

Scientific Awards:

• Royal Society University Research Fellowship
• Branco Weiss Fellowship
• Bateson Research Fellowship

Collaborations:
Dr. Meier collaborates extensively across institutions, including the University of Berkeley, University of Sydney, and research teams in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. She contributes to large-scale initiatives like the Darwin Tree of Life Project and leads Project Psyche for sequencing European Lepidoptera.