معرفی
Richard Merrill is a Professor at the Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where he leads the Research Group on Behavior and Speciation. His work integrates ecology, genetics, and neurobiology to study speciation mechanisms, particularly in Heliconius butterflies.
- PhD in Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK (2012)
- MSc in Biology (Integrative Biosciences), University of Oxford, UK (2006)
- BSc in Biology, University College London, UK (2004)
Research Interests: Dr. Merrill investigates how sensory and behavioral traits drive population divergence and speciation. His work focuses on Heliconius butterflies, addressing genetic and neural basis of reproductive isolation, sensory ecology, and ecological speciation.
Scientific Awards:
- ERC Starting Grant (2019)
- DFG Emmy Noether Fellowship (2016)
- British Ecological Society Award (2014)
- Royal Entomological Society Alfred Russel Wallace Thesis Prize (2012)
- Ernst Mayr Fellowship (2011)
Advising: Dr. Merrill has mentored numerous PhD and MSc students, including José Antonio Borrero Malo, Yi Peng Toh, Matteo Rossi, and Chi-Yun Kuo. His group collaborates with institutions in Colombia, Finland, Panama, and the UK.
Labs & Teams: The Behavior and Speciation group at LMU Munich, part of the Faculty of Biology, combines fieldwork in the tropics with neuroanatomy and genomics. Current projects include sensory ecology, neural divergence, and alpine wood ant speciation.
