Ewch i’r prif gynnwys
Sarah Christofides

Dr Sarah Christofides

Users
Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig

Timau a rolau for Sarah Christofides

  • Darlithydd

    Ysgol y Biowyddorau

Trosolwyg

Rwy'n mycolegydd ac ecolegydd meintiol, sy'n arbenigo mewn ffyngau pydredd pren. Mae fy niddordebau ymchwil yn canolbwyntio ar ecoleg gymunedol (microbaidd), ac yn enwedig cymhwyso ystadegau multivariate i setiau data mawr. Mae gen i gefndir ymchwil amrywiol, sy'n rhychwantu rhyngweithiadau ffwngaidd, ymatebion straen planhigion ac ecoleg dŵr croyw. Rwyf am wella deialog a rhannu gwybodaeth rhwng ystadegau ecolegol clasurol a biowybodeg ecoleg microbaidd, gan gyfuno ac ymestyn y dulliau o drin y setiau data mwy sydd ar gael i'w dadansoddi. Mae llawer o ystadegwyr yn gweithio ar broblemau ecolegol, ac mae llawer o ecolegwyr yn dibynnu'n helaeth ar ystadegau, ond yn aml ar wahân i'w gilydd. Rwy'n anelu at bontio'r bwlch rhwng y disgyblaethau hyn.

Fel darlithydd mewn biowybodeg, rwy'n dysgu ar gyrsiau biowybodeg israddedig ac ôl-raddedig yr Ysgol. Fy maes arbenigol yw dadansoddi cymunedau microbaidd trwy metabarcoding, ond mae gen i ddiddordebau eang mewn biowybodeg a bioystadegau.

Mae gen i ddiddordeb brwd mewn cyfathrebu ac allgymorth gwyddoniaeth, ac wedi bod yn rhan o gyflwyno digwyddiadau ymgysylltu gwyddonol amrywiol. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys Microbioleg ar gyfer diwrnodau coedwigaeth (digwyddiadau hyfforddi proffesiynol, 2015-2018); Digwyddiadau Diwrnod Ffwng y DU (digwyddiadau cenedlaethol, 2014-2018), BBC Summer of Wildlife (digwyddiad cenedlaethol 2013); digwyddiad Drysau Agored Treftadaeth Ewropeaidd Prifysgol Caerdydd (2011); a Diwrnod Bioamrywiaeth Offwell Woodland and Wildlife Trust (2010). Roeddwn i'n rownd derfynol rhanbarthol yng nghystadleuaeth cyfathrebu gwyddoniaeth Famelab (2012).

Cyhoeddiad

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2016

2015

Articles

Thesis

Ymchwil

I am a microbial community ecologist with research interests in mycology, freshwater microbiology, and quantitative ecology. My overarching research aim is to tackle one of the great problems in ecology: how to link (community) structure to (ecosystem) function. I am convinced that this will not be solved by a magic bullet, but by a judicious combination of hypothesis development, experimental design, statistical tools and experimental methods linking multiple scales.

Fungal-Bacterial Interactions

Microbial communities drive many of the processes in the natural world, but their interactions are often poorly understood - particularly across kingdoms. My PhD research investigated the interactions between fungi and bacteria during wood decomposition, and this remains a particular area of interest to me. My PhD work was the first to show a causal link in the field between the identity of the dominant fungus in a resource and the composition of the bacterial community. It also revealed for the first time that fungi can significantly delay bacterial colonisation of a woody resource. I am also interested in bacterial effects on fungi, particularly the Paraburkholderia which migrate along fungal hyphae.

Microbiology of Headwater Streams

Upland freshwaters provide a host of ecosystem services and act as sensitive indicators of ecosystem health. My research career started in freshwater ecology, researching the effects of acidification on habitat choice by macroinvertebrates. Since then I have been involved with Prof. Isabelle Durance's NERC DURESS project, looking at the links between microbial communities and dissolved organic carbon. I have an active interest in freshwater mycology and soil-water linkages, which I hope to pursue further in future.

Post-Harvest Stress

Plants' responses to the stresses associated with harvest have major implications for food security, waste reduction and agricultural efficiency. I have worked with Prof. Hilary Rogers and Dr. Carsten Müller on post-harvest stress reponses in various plant systems. During the BBSRC Future Forages project we collaborated with Prof. Alison Kingston-Smith and Dr. Elizabeth Hart at Aberystwyth University to investigate how climate stress imposed when grass is growing affects its subsequent autolysis within the rumen. In the Fondazione con il Sud's FRUITY project, we combined biochemical analysis with consumer panel data to assess markers of peach quality and how they are affected by storage, in collaboration with Dr. Natasha Spadafora at the University of Calabria and Dr. Ruth Fairchild and Dr. Anita Setarehnejad at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Addysgu

My current teaching centres around delivering bioinformatics workshops to students on the MRes and integrated masters programmes. Previous teaching experience includes: lecturing on first and second year statistics and plant ecology, leading a journal-club style discussion group for masters students, running data analysis workshops for second year undergraduates, and demonstrating on a wide range of laboratory practicals/field trips.

Bywgraffiad

2021-present: Bioinformatics tutor at the Genome Research Hub, Cardiff University

2019-2021: Research associate, Cardiff University. BBSRC Future Forages project led by Prof. Hilary Rogers and Dr. Carsten Muller

2018: Part-time lecturer in statistics, Swansea University

2013-2017: NERC PhD, Cardiff University. Fungus-bacteria interactions in decomposing wood: unravelling community effects. Supervised by Prof. Andy Weightman and Prof. Lynne Boddy

2009-2012: BSc(Hons) Ecology, 1st class. Cardiff University

Anrhydeddau a dyfarniadau

  • Best Article Award 2019 from FEMS Microbiology Ecology: ‘Highly competitive fungi manipulate bacterial communities in decomposing beech wood (Fagus sylvativa)’
  • New Phytologist Trust grant to attend ‘People, Plants and Planet Symposium’ at Kew (2019)
  • FEMS travel grant to attend ESM conference in Prague (2015)
  • NERC PhD studentship (2013)
  • Undergraduate Fellowship with the British Ecological Society (2012-2013)

Aelodaethau proffesiynol

  • British Ecological Society
  • British Mycological Society
  • Society for Experimental Biology
  • Christians in Science

Ymrwymiadau siarad cyhoeddus

2023 Seminar a wahoddwyd, Ysgol Mathemateg, Ystadegau a Gwyddoniaeth Actiwaraidd Prifysgol Caint.

2023 Gwahoddiad seminar, Ysgol Mathemateg ac Ystadegau Prifysgol St Andrews

2023 Sgwrs a wahoddwyd, Adeiladu Atebion Rhyngddisgyblaethol i Heriau Ecolegol Modern Cynhadledd

2020 Gwahoddiad seminar, Ysgol Gwyddorau Bywyd Prifysgol Essex

2020 Seminar a wahoddwyd, Adran Ffisioleg, Anatomeg a Microbioleg Prifysgol Latrobe

Pwyllgorau ac adolygu

  • Bwrdd Golygyddol, Ecoleg Ffwngaidd
  • Adolygydd grant ar gyfer BBSRC 2023
  • Adolygydd grant ar gyfer Rhaglen Gwyddoniaeth Ffiniau Dynol 2021

Meysydd goruchwyliaeth

Goruchwyliaeth gyfredol

Edward Woolley

Edward Woolley

Phos Hayes

Phos Hayes

Prosiectau'r gorffennol

Cyn-fyfyrwyr PhD:

  • Dr. Aimee Bettridge (Cymhwyso genomeg bacteriol a diagnosteg microbiota di-ddiwylliant i heintiau anadlol)

Contact Details

Email ChristofidesS@caerdydd.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 76201
Campuses Adeilad Syr Martin Evans, Ystafell C4.06, Rhodfa'r Amgueddfa, Caerdydd, CF10 3AX

Themâu ymchwil

Arbenigeddau

  • Biowybodeg a bioleg gyfrifiadurol
  • Biostatistics
  • Mycoleg
  • Bioleg planhigion
  • Ecoleg dŵr croyw