Laura Nicole Tensen

• Presentation
• Research outputs

The key focus of my research has been the genetic response of wildlife species to anthropogenic disturbances, such as harvesting and habitat fragmentation, with a particular focus on population genetic structure. Genetic structure has profound implications for conservation, as populations that are separated into smaller, genetically independent units each have a smaller effective population size and less genetic diversity, which could ultimately lead to loss of adaptive fitness and phenotypic changes. Next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled the genome-wide identification of candidate loci involved in local adaptation, and allows deeper insights into patterns of dispersal, founder effects, consequences of genetic admixture on gene introgression, genomic reorganization, and natural selection. My research aims to provide a better understanding of adaptive genetic variation and the direction of selection in the wild, including the extent to which observed changes are due to heterozygote deficiency or phenotypic plasticity.