Ian Sanders
Professeur Associé
Research Interests | Curriculum Vitae | Work Experience | Research Grants as Principal Investigator | Professional Affiliations and Services
Research Interests
I am interested in the effects of symbiosis on the ecology and evolution of organisms. In particular, I am interested in how symbiotic organisms continue to evolve (or co-evolve) once they have entered into partnership with another organism, rather than the evolutionary steps that lead to the establishment of the symbiosis. For the research in the group we concentrate on the symbiosis between fungi and plants, known as the mycorrhizal symbiosis
Curriculum Vitae
Born on May 2nd, 1964, Great Britain.
Current Employment:
Associate Professor for Evolutionary Biology, University of Lausanne.
Academic Qualifications
1982 - 1985
Bachelor of Science, Botany (with honours, upper 2nd class). University of Nottingham, UK.
Project: The effect of different isolates of a downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica ) on the growth of three different Brassica spp.
Dissertation: Phosphorus nutrition in plants.
1985 - 1987
Master of Philosophy (Biology). University of Nottingham, UK.
Thesis: The conservation status of urban and urban fringe woodlands in Nottinghamshire.
1988 - 1990
Doctor of Philosophy (Biology). University of York, UK.
Thesis: Seasonality, selectivity and specificity of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas in grasslands.
Oct 1996
Habilitation at the University of Basel in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Work Experience
2000 - 2004
Swiss National Science Foundation Professorial fellow, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
1993 - 2000
Oberassistant (equivalent of lecturer), University of Basel, Switzerland.
Research specialization: Functional and genetic diversity of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and its significance for the biodiversity of ecosystems.
1991 - 1992
Postdoctoral Research Associate. The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
Project: The effects of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas on plant community structure.
1990 - 1991
Visiting Research Fellow. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Dijon, France.
Project: The use of immunological and biochemical techniques for the detection of mycorrhizal fungi.
1985 - 1987
Environmental Consultant. James Davies and Partners, Nottingham, UK.
1987
Research Assistant. University of Nottingham, UK.
Research Grants as Principal Investigator
Project title: Ecological and evolutionary consequences of resource acquisition strategies in parasitic angiosperms and their effects on plant communities (From Swiss National Foundation Ref No. 3100-46684.96). CHF 180'152.-
Project title: Ecology and evolution in a mutualistic environment. (From Swiss National Foundation Ref No. 3100-50'481.97). CHF 300'000.-
Swiss National Science Foundation "Professorial Fellowship". Ecology and Evolution in a mutualistic environment. (Project number: 631-058108.99). CHF 1'226'599.-
Project title: From evolutionary genetics to population genomics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. (From Swiss National Foundation). CHF 540'000.- (project number: 3100A0-105790)
Professional Affiliations and Services
Steering Committee member for JGI (DoE, USA) sequencing project on the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices.
Organizer of working group on Population Biology for COST 838: Managing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for improving soil quality and plant health in agriculture.
Editorial board of Journal of Ecology (Sept. 1997 - Dec 2004).
Editorial board of Canadian Journal of Botany (August 1999-December 2003).
Member of the British Ecological Society.
