Jaime Mauricio Anaya-Rojas

PhD student at University of Bern supervised by Blake Matthews (Aquatic Ecology, Eawag) and Ole Seehausen

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult" Seneca

Species interactions are not only one of the most wonderful outcomes of life, but also key to the understand the dynamic feedbacks between ecology and evolution (Eco-Evo feedbacks). During my few years of research, I have investigated the role of species interactions like predation, parasitism, competition and cooperation in the ecology and evolution of some species of lizards and fish. During my PhD at Eawag and the University of Bern in Switzerland, I have extended these investigations to understand the consequences of this interactions at several biological levels (from genes to ecosystems). Nowadays, my research is focus to study: (I) how the interactions between parasites, competition, and environmental nutrient loading affect recently diverged Swiss sticklebacks and (II) how this effects can affect community structure and ecosystem functioning. All these by using a series of exciting large scale mesocosm experiments at Eawag in Kastanienbaum.

I started my career as a biologist at the Univesidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia, working together with many wonderful and inspiring people at the Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados. There, we study for the very first time the ecology and reproductive behavior of two Gymnophthalmid lizards that inhabit urban areas and organic coffee fields. After my bachelor studies, I also work as a science teacher in a school until I have the opportunity to study in Germany.

Before coming to Switzerland, I had the great honor of being part of Prof. Theo Bakker's Group at the University of Bonn (Germany), where, I learned the value of studying abroad and working in an international environment. During that time I increase my research experience by taking a more experimental approach and investigated the role of social environment and kinship in the anti-predator behavior of the Cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. link

Curriculum Vitae

please also visit my personal Eawag homepage