PhD defence of Alessandra Schnider

Friday 9th of May Alessandra Schnider successfully defended her PhD thesis named “Phenotypic
plasticity in Mývatn threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus): response to temperature and
diet within and across generations”. Alessandra conducted her research work at Hólar University
advised by Professor Bjarni K. Kristjánsson. The supervisor teacher at University of Iceland was
Professor Zophonías O. Jónsson. Co-advisor was Katja Räsänen, Professor at University of Jyväskylä,
Finland, Blake Matthews Professor at EAWAG, Switzerland and Catherine Peichel Professor at the
University of Bern, Switzerland, also served on Alessandra’s committee. The opponents for the
defence were Dr. Lisa N. S. Shama, from Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Germany and Dr. Antti P. Eloranta
at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Alessandra´s study was a part of a grant of excellence project funded by Rannís. In her work she
developed and set up a large rearing experiment to study how the environment of sticklebacks
shaped their phenotype and gene expression. She also studied how the environment of parents and
even grandparents influenced the phenotype and gene expression of offspring. Alessandra´s results
give us important information on the complicated interactions of genes and environments for
shaping phenotypic diversity over generations. These results are useful for increasing our
understanding of biodiversity in rapid changing environments and can be used in conservation of
natural populations.
Hólar University heartfully congratulates Dr. Alessandra and wishes her all the best in her future
undertakings.