Dr. Sara Carvalho

My main research motivation is to contribute to the understanding of the process of adaptive evolution in multicellular, sexual organisms. I am therefore interested in broad questions regarding the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution (mutation and recombination) and in understanding how genomic and phenotypic complexity can affect adaptation. Specifically, I seek to understand how life-history traits are shaped by natural selection and also how this proceeds differently in different sexes.

In this context, I find the relationship between reproduction and lifespan particularly interesting. Currently, I am investigating the mechanistic basis of the relationship between reproduction and lifespan and also how this relationship is modulated by diet.

2007-2012
PhD in Evolutionary Biology. Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
Supervisor: Dr. Henrique Teotónio
PhD thesis entitled: “Adaptation from standing genetic variation and from mutation: experimental evolution of populations of Caenorhabditis elegans”.

2006
IGC PhD Programme graduate student. Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal. Accepted into the Programme which includes a semester of lectures and workshops in basic and applied biology research.

2001 – 2005
Licenciatura (equivalent to M.Sc.) in Biology. Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal. Four years degree.