Jiao li
Project Outline
I am a PhD student at UCD working with Dr. Katharina Wollenberg Valero. I focus on the molecular characterisation of heat-induced stress metabolite in aquatic ectotherms.
Environments are facing extreme change worldwide. Studies have shown that these changes can impact animals from bahaviour, physiology, and life cycles. Temperature is one of the abiotic factors, key to aquatic ectotherms. Previous studies revealed that heat-induced stress can release chemical cues, as “stress metabolites”. I am investigating potential pathways and genes mediated by these metabolites.
I am a PhD student at UCD working with Dr. Katharina Wollenberg Valero. I focus on the molecular characterisation of heat-induced stress metabolite in aquatic ectotherms.
Environments are facing extreme change worldwide. Studies have shown that these changes can impact animals from bahaviour, physiology, and life cycles. Temperature is one of the abiotic factors, key to aquatic ectotherms. Previous studies revealed that heat-induced stress can release chemical cues, as “stress metabolites”. I am investigating potential pathways and genes mediated by these metabolites.
About Me
As a child, I watched a lot of Discovery Channel which inspired me to become a cool biologist, observing animals in the wild and having adventures in nature. I thought it would be the perfect job in the world. To prepare myself fully for the academic world, I embarked on my systematic undergraduate studies at Huzhou University with honours. My undergraduate thesis focused mainly on ecotoxicology--How do heavy metals affect shrimps? My work could help evaluate shrimps' health via physiological and molecular analysis. Eventually, it can help the industry to improve better rearing environment and provide better solutions for shrimp growth. However, I realized that if I wanted to study and conserve animals, that was not enough. Therefore, I chose to study ecology at the amphibian and reptile laboratory at Hainan Normal University. In the short three years, I studied the adaptation of crab-eating frogs to high-saline environments, molecular determination of coloration in bearded dragon lizards, and performed a meta-analysis of adenovirus in bearded dragon lizards. These experiences gave me the opportunity to learn that combining big data and deep levels such as genomics can reveal solutions for animal conservation. I came to Dr. Katharina Wollenberg Valero to study further analysis methods in animals experiencing thermal stress, which will definitely help me in the future to give suggestions to protect animals and our beautiful planet!
Meanwhile, I also love traveling, sports (even though I am lame at sports, still trying them!), drawing manga, reading manga, painting animals, learning languages (It’s the key to knowing another culture!), and reading (depends on my feelings though!). Music is my soul, listening almost every day! By the way, I am from Sichuan Province, China, where pandas live and we have delicious hotpot!
See my profile and publication on Researchgate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Li-Jiao-25)
