Sam Mitchell

Sam is a research assistant based at Edinburgh Zoo working on a range of conservation genetics projects. His background is in ecology and evolutionary genetics, and he is interested in the ways that novel insights from genetic data can enhance our understanding of the specific needs of vulnerable populations and species, resulting in more effective conservation practice. Sam’s previous work has combined empirical data and simulations to investigate the factors contributing to maintenance of genetic diversity after population bottlenecks, as well as using genomic data to reconstruct the demographic histories of populations. Sam is particularly excited by the growing availability of whole genome sequence data in conservation and their application in the development of wildlife forensics tools to combat illegal trade.

Background

MSc (University of Edinburgh) Evolutionary Genetics

BSc (University of Edinburgh) Ecology