João Pedro Marques

João Pedro Marques is a postdoctoral researcher in evolutionary and conservation genomics at BIOPOLIS–CIBIO, affiliated with the research groups Genomics of Evolutionary Change (EVOCHANGE) and Immunity and Emerging Diseases (IMED).

He has a background in Biochemistry, with early training in bioinformatics and sequence data analysis. His initial research focused on transcriptomics and gene expression applied to developmental and physiological processes. After joining CIBIO–InBIO in 2014, his scientific interests shifted towards speciation and population genomics. As evolutionary questions became increasingly complex, he moved towards the analysis of whole-genome data, gaining extensive experience in genome assembly and annotation, population structure analyses and SNP-based approaches.

João obtained his PhD in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution from the University of Porto (Portugal), in cotutelle with the Université de Montpellier (France). His doctoral research addressed a central evolutionary question: how natural selection and gene flow shape the formation and evolution of species. Using hares and mice as model systems, he investigated multiple contact zones with contrasting levels of divergence, introgression and ecological differentiation, integrating large-scale genomic datasets generated by modern sequencing technologies.

Currently, his research bridges evolutionary genomics, conservation biology and disease ecology, with a particular focus on wildlife adaptation and disease susceptibility in natural populations. He is actively involved in major European biodiversity genomics initiatives, serving as Executive Coordinator of the Portuguese node of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA-PT) and co-leading a Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) case study on myxomatosis susceptibility in Iberian hares. His work contributes to the development of genomic resources and analytical frameworks with direct relevance for biodiversity monitoring, conservation and ecosystem health.

In parallel with his research activity, João maintains a strong commitment to science outreach and education. He leads a long-term outreach programme with a local high school, engaging students in hands-on genomics and wildlife health projects and promoting scientific literacy and early contact with research. This initiative reflects his broader interest in strengthening the connection between scientific research, education and society.

Research Interests

João’s research uses population and comparative genomics to investigate how selection, divergence and introgression shape biodiversity in non-model organisms. He is particularly interested in applying genomics to conservation challenges, wildlife disease dynamics and evolutionary responses to environmental change.