Professor GAITÁN-ESPITIA, Juan Diego (JD)
Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU
BSc (Colombia); MSc (Spain); PhD (Chile)
- [javascript protected email address]
- 3917 3637
- 2858 3477
- KBSB 3S03
Teaching Areas
- Ecology
- Evolution
- Phylogenetics
- Molecular Ecology
- Quantitative genetics
- Biostatistics
- Physiology
Research Interests
- Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation
- Comparative environmental physiology
- Evolutionary ecology
- Functional Genomics: linking genotype to phenotype
- Host-microbial interactions
- Adaptive responses to climate change
- Evolutionary dynamics of mitochondrial genomes
Current Research
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics in tropical marine ectotherms
- Marine holobionts
- Seascape genetics in the Indo-Pacific
- Experimental evolution
- Plasticity and local adaptation in highly fluctuating environments
Research Team
Mr Khan Cheung (RA)
Mr Bovern Arromrak (PhD student)
Mr Adrian Wong (MPhil student co-supervised)
Fellowships
- Fellowship OCE postdoctoral research CSIRO Australia (2015-2018)
- Fellowship postdoctoral research FONDECYT Chile (2013-2015)
- Fellowship Duke University (2010)
Publications and News
- Gaitan-Espitia, JD., González-Wevar, C., Poulin, E., & Cardenas, L. Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Nacella limpets reveal novel evolutionary characteristics of mitochondrial genomes in Patellogastropoda. (Accepted: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution).
- Bacigalupe L., Gaitan-Espitia, JD., Barria, A., Gonzalez, A., Aravena, M., & Sinervo, B. Natural selection on plasticity of thermal traits in a highly seasonal environment. (Accepted: Evolutionary Applications).
- Nespolo R., Gaitan-Espitia, JD., Storey K, & Bozinovic, F. A functional transcriptomics analysis in the relict marsupial Dromiciops gliroides reveals adaptive regulation of protective functions during hibernation. (Accepted: Molecular Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/mec.14876).
- Quintero-Galvis, JF., Paleo-Lopez, R., Solano-Iguaran, JJ., Poupin, MP., Ledger, T., Gaitán‐Espitia, JD., Antoł, A., Travisano, M., Nespolo, RF. Exploring the evolution of multicellularity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under bacteria environment: an experimental phylogenetics approach. Ecology & Evolution, (Accepted).