Craig Primmer

1.1.2011–31.12.2015
Evolutionary Genetics
University of Turku

Craig Primmer is known as one of the world’s top three scientists in his field, i.e. the use of genomics for fish conservation. Professor Primmer’s research plan for his forthcoming term as Academy Professor represents the absolute cutting edge in evolutionary conservation biology. Recently the focus of conservation biology has been shifting from attempts to halt environmental change towards understanding the nature of change and predicting its future course. Primmer’s project is designed to study how different species respond to environmental changes, what kind of diversity should be protected in order to ensure the adaptation of different species, and how quickly that process of adaptation can be expected to happen. He hopes to answer many of these questions by applying the tools of evolutionary conservation genetics. His model species include different species of salmon, grayling and sticklebacks in their natural habitats and in laboratory situations.