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Charlotte Taylor BSc (Hons), MSc

Charlotte Taylor

(she/her)

BSc (Hons), MSc

Teams and roles for Charlotte Taylor

  • Research student

    School of Biosciences

  • Graduate Demonstrator

    School of Biosciences

Overview

I am currently a PhD researcher in the Molecular Ecology and Conservation lab, funded by NERC's GW4+ DTP. I have a background in population genetics, water quality testing, and COVID-19 sample testing.

For my PhD, I am working with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (alongside other CASE partners) to study the genomics of the critically endangered mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax). This species has been pushed to the edge of extinction by the spread of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on the islands of Dominica and Montserrat in the Caribbean. Using genomic data, I am investigating how the disease outbreak affected the species’ genetic diversity and whether surviving frogs show signs of adaptation. By uncovering their recent history and potential genetic resilience, my work aims to support future conservation efforts for this species.

Publication

Research

Thesis title: Conservation Genomics of the Critically Endangered Mountain Chicken Frog

The objectives of my PhD are to:

  1. Characterise signatures of selection across the L. fallax genome indicative of adaptive responses to chytrid fungus, and how this can be introduced into populations currently lacking resistance to increase their likelihood for long-term survival.

  2. Reconstruct the species’ demographic history, estimating historical population sizes, genetic bottlenecks, and changes in genetic diversity over time.

  3. Evaluate the levels of current genetic diversity in both wild and bio-secure populations and the impact that the disease outbreak had on extant patterns of genetic variation.

 

CASE partners:

  • Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
  • Cardiff University

Other funding partners:

  • Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
  • Natural History Museum, London

Biography

University education:

Cardiff University:

  • MSc (Global Ecology and Evolution) - Distinction
  • BSc (with placement year) - 2:1 (Hons.)

Job history:

Cardiff University:

  • Senior laboratory technician - detecting and predicting taste and odour in events UK drinking water suppliers
  • Senior laboratory technician - COVID-19 testing for Cardiff University students (RNA extraction through to qPCR for positive or negative results)

 PerkinElmer:

  • Clinical laboratory scientist - RNA extraction from nasopharyngeal swabs to detect viral load of COVID-19 in patients across the UK

Contact Details

Email [email protected]

Campuses Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Population Genetics
  • Conservation Genomics
  • Herpetology
  • Tropical Ecology