New to the blog: Peter Fields

Greetings fellow molecular ecologists and other interesting people! I’m Peter Fields, a recent recruit to the roster of contributors at the Molecular Ecologist.

A lab mate’s field site. I can be found most days in places with less scenic vistas.


I’m currently a graduate student with Douglas Taylor at the University of Virginia. My dissertation research has been to genetically characterize the metapopulation dynamics of the angiosperm Silene latifolia, and its sterilizing fungal pathogen, Microbotryum violaceum. My dissertation developed as part of a larger collaboration between the Taylor lab and Janis Antonovics at the University of Virginia that has included an annual census of more 800 populations of the focal plant species, starting in 1988 (25 years of data this summer!), and a collaboration with Oscar Gaggiotti at Université de Grenoble. More broadly, my research interests focus on the development and application of statistical genetic methods for the inference of ecological and evolutionary processes.
Being somewhat new to blogging, but with the opinion that this medium will be an important tool in the ever expanding force that is open science, I’m excited to have an opportunity to contribute to the Molecular Ecologist. It’s such an exciting time to be a biologist, and even more so a population geneticist. I hope I can add to the discussion and excitement through my posts. Cheers!

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