Inês Miranda

I am an evolutionary biologist currently working as a researcher at the EVOCHANGE group. I did my PhD in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution at the University of Porto, developing my PhD research at CIBIO-InBIO and in collaboration with the Centre for Paleogenetics (Stockholm, Sweden) and the University of Montana (Missoula, USA). 

I am broadly interested in understanding the evolutionary mechanisms underlying adaptation in natural populations and their interplay with population history, genetics, and ecology. I work mainly with genomic data, using molecular methods and bioinformatic approaches to pinpoint key adaptive variation in the wild, exploring its origin and evolutionary history. I integrate this data with ecological and evolutionary modelling to understand species’ adaptive potential to environmental change.

I have been focused on the study of seasonal coat colour change, a phenological trait crucial for species fitness but that is challenged by climate change. Adaptive variation associated with this trait could be fundamental to underscore rapid adaptation to changing environments. Understanding how this variation might anchor species’ adaptive responses is key to informing species management and conservation.

In addition, I am also committed to science communication and education, and I often participate in science dissemination and outreach activities in various contexts, including public events and projects at local schools.