Andrea Sequeira
Gordon P. Lang and Althea P. Lang ‘26 Professor of Biological Sciences
Evolutionary biologist with interest in conservation genetics.
The core of my research program involves the study of the ecological and evolutionary components of accumulation of diversity in island systems. Equally important is the study of forces that can threaten that diversity. Currently I am exploring the genetic impact of introduced species in an ecosystem that is hailed as an example for conservation efforts while under increasing pressure from tourism and development: The Galápagos Archipelago. Indeed, species introductions have been identified as the principal threat to the terrestrial ecosystems of the Galápagos islands. Within the scope of conservation genetics questions my research also explores the effects of reduction of connectivity between habitat patches on island endemics. New projects are focused on studies of introduced weevils in the US with the goal of performing genome wide explorations of genetic variation using Next Generation Sequencing to help clarify the genetic basis of invasion success. Our Galapagos-based research efforts enjoy the support of the Charles Darwin Research Station in Galápagos. Additionally, I have ongoing collaborations with colleagues in Argentina and at the Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard.
I believe that deep understanding of evolutionary processes and outcomes is pivotal across the many sub-disciplines that constitute the study of biology: from broad morphological patterns with the potential for generation of biodiversity, to medically applicable generation of microbial resistance. However, the purview of evolutionary ideas extends beyond biology to the realms of history, philosophy and sociology where students can benefit from a clear understanding of evolutionary evidence. I try to frame my contribution to the curriculum exactly in those terms, so as to provide the building blocks for the genetic basis of inheritance and evolution. I teach several courses at all levels of the curriculum, including introductory organismal biology, genetics and Conservation and Evolutionary genetics. Students are involved in every aspect of my research; from fieldwork to publication. Working in a research laboratory provides technical and intellectual challenges: students get training at the lab bench as well as an opportunity to analyze the research in a broader context through the dissemination of our results at scientific meetings and through publications where they take are encouraged to take full co-author responsibility.
In addition to my collaborative research with Wellesley undergraduates I enjoy maintaining the academic connections with my country of origin, Argentina. I do so by occasionally hosting Argentinian students in my laboratory and servings as co-advisor for PhD theses and postdoctoral fellowships.
My extracurricular activities include helping raise funds to support a day program for children with special needs in Hue, Vietnam and running after my two young children. I enjoy theatre and reading in my native language (Spanish) as well as salsa dancing (if I get a chance).
Education
- M.S., University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Ph.D., University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Currently teaching
Evolutionary Medicine
BISC312
Evolution is the foundation for all biology. We have long been able to recognize its contributions to understanding infectious disease and genetics, but we are yet far from realizing its full potential in the medicine field. We often think of the human body as an efficient machine. We view disease as a defect arising in an otherwise perfect device. An evolutionary perspective offers a more realistic view of the body as a product of natural selection: functional and remarkable in many ways, but also flawed in many ways, for good evolutionary reasons. In this course we will explore the premise that the human body and its pathogens are not perfectly designed machines but evolving biological systems shaped by selection under the constraints of tradeoffs that produce specific compromises and vulnerabilities. Through primary literature analysis, group presentations, student designed activities, and collaborative work, we will explore fundamental evolutionary principles such as arms races, maladaptation, evolutionary mismatch, and evolutionary theories of senescence, and their connections to medicine.
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Genetics with Laboratory
BISC219
The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of genetics at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. The course establishes a link between the generation of genetic variants through mutation and recombination, their patterns of inheritance, interactions between genes to produce complex phenotypes, and the maintenance of such genetic variation in natural populations. The course also explores principles of genome organization and the mechanisms that regulate gene expression. Other topics include: DNA sequencing and the use of genomic data to address questions in genetics, comparing and contrasting genetic regulation strategies across the three domains of life, and exploring experimental approaches for addressing genetic questions. Laboratory investigation will expose students to the fundamentals of genetics including transmission, molecular, and computational techniques for genetic analysis. Students must attend lab during the first week in order to continue in the course. During certain weeks, students are required to come in outside of scheduled lab time for approximately one hour 3-4 days after the scheduled lab. Please plan your schedule accordingly.. The course has a waitlist which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. If offered a seat, you will receive an offer for the lecture and will be able to accept a seat in the course only if a laboratory which has an available seat can also fit into your schedule. Flexibility for lab times increases your ability to accept an offer. (BIOC 219 and BISC 219 are cross-listed courses.)