Victoria Pritchard
Dr Victoria Pritchard
Senior Researcher in Genomics
I am an evolutionary biologist whose research examines genomic, morphological and behavioural divergence amongst populations, and the consequences of hybridization between those populations. My work provides direct insights into how the diversity of life arises. It also has practical applications to managing populations of conservation or economic concern. At IBFC, I lead research applying genetic and genomic tools to the conservation management of Scotland’s threatened species.
- Dosentti in Evolutionary Genetics, University of Turku, Finland
- PhD, ‘Behaviour and Morphology of the Zebrafish’, University of Leeds, UK
- B.Sc. Biology with Oceanography, University of Southampton, UK
Research interests:
- Evolutionary genomics
- Conservation genetics
- Causes and consequences of inter-population hybridization
Research project highlights:
- AS3IG: Atlantic salmon stock assessment - integrating genetics
- SAL-MOVE: Migration timing genotype as a predictor of salmon vulnerability to environmental change.
- Threatened bivalves population genomics for conservation of marine and freshwater bivalves.
- New Genetic Tools for species detection and management.
- Freshwater eDNA
- Beaver Impacts investigating the ecological and social impact of beaver conservation translocation.
- Genomic approaches to Atlantic salmon conservation: I have been working with PhD Antti Miettinen and Prof. Craig Primmer (University of Helsinki) to apply population genomic approaches to management of salmon in the Baltic and Barents Seas.
Supervision
- Lydia McGill (PhD)
- James MacArthur (PhD)
- Alanna McCallum (MRes)
- Robert Jackson (MRes)
External supervision
- Victoria Gillman (PhD, University of Aberdeen)
Alumni students
- Shraveena Venkatesh (PhD)
- Antti Miettinen (PhD, University of Helsinki)
Publications:
Zueva KJ, Lumme J, Veselov AE, Primmer CR, Pritchard VL. (2020) Population genomics reveals repeated signals of adaptive divergence in northeastern European Atlantic salmon. J. Evol. Biol 34, 866-878.
Miettinen A., Palm S., Dannewitz J., Lind E, Primmer CR, Romakkaniemi A, Ostergren J, Pritchard VL. (2020) A large wild salmon stock shows genetic and life history differentiation within, but not between, rivers. Conserv Genet. 22, 35-51.
Pritchard VL, Mäkinen H, Vähä JP, Erkinaro J, Orell P, Primmer CR (2018) Genomic signatures of fine‐scale local selection in Atlantic salmon suggest involvement of sexual maturation, energy homeostasis, and immune defence‐related genes. Mol. Ecol. 27, 2560-2575.
Pritchard VL, Viitaniemi HM, McCairns RJS, Merilä J, Nikinmaa M, Primmer CR, Leder EH (2017) Regulatory architecture of gene expression variation in the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. G3 7, 165–178.
Pritchard VL, Orell P, Kent MP, Lien S, Niemelä E, Erkinaro J, Primmer CR (2016) SNPs to discriminate different classes of hybrid between wild salmon and aquaculture escapees. Evol. Appl. 9, 1017-1031.