My research focuses on landscape population genetics in freshwater fish across Switzerland, with an emphasis on metapopulations in the Anthropocene. I aim to understand how these metapopulations are shaped by the interaction of neutral processes (e.g., geographic distance), adaptive processes (e.g., local environment), and anthropogenic influences (e.g., barriers and stocking).

My primary method is microsatellite analysis, which provides insights into fine-scale, recent population dynamics by targeting highly mutable non-coding regions of the genome. This approach allows for rapid analysis of a large number of individuals. The process begins with DNA extraction from fish samples (typically fin clips), followed by amplification of regions containing repetitive nucleotide sequences. Using clustering algorithms that group genotypes by similarity, we assign fish to genetic clusters, revealing historical and contemporary patterns of admixture.