CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Dr Amber G F Teacher
Nationality: Irish/British dual nationality
Languages: English (mother tongue), French (basic), Finnish (very basic!)
Year of Birth: 1982
Telephone: +358 4 6633 2736
Email: amber.teacher@helsinki.fi
DEGREES
PhD, Institute of Zoology/Queen Mary, University of London, UK
2005-2009
Population and Immunocompetent Genetic Variation: A Field Based Study.
A Natural Environment Research Council - CASE (linked to an environmental consultancy)
studentship, supervised by Prof Richard Nichols, Dr Trenton Garner and Dr Andrew Cunningham.
Submitted at 2 years 11 months, and passed with no corrections by Dr Jon Slate (Sheffield) & Dr.
Paul Shaw (RHUL).
This study involved using a recent outbreak of an amphibian epidemic disease to test theoretical
expectations of population genetics. I used microsatellites, mtDNA and developed a novel MHC
marker to understand how disease has impacted the population dynamics of the common frog. Four
papers published to date.
MRes Animal Science - Distinction, Imperial College London, UK
2004-2005
Relatedness and reproductive conflicts in a wasp (Polistes canadensis), using microsatellites and
behavioural analysis.
5 month project, supervised by Dr Seirian Sumner.Publication in preparation.
Carnivore consumption, kills and limitations: How do metabolic requirements affect ecology?
5 month project, supervised by Dr Chris Carbone. Published in PLoS Biology.
BSc Biology - 2:1 Hons, University College London, UK
2000-2003
PRESENT EMPLOYMENT
Research Fellow, University of Helsinki
Start Feb 2010
Funding obtained from the Academy of Finland (355 055 Euros), and from BONUS+ funding
programme.
Evolutionary genetics and genomics of herring in the Baltic Sea. I have used 454 sequencing data to
develop multiple candidate gene markers to look for herring population structure which relates to
environmental gradients (salinity/temperature) in the Baltic Sea. I will also be using whole
mitochondrial genome sequencing, and RAD-tags to further investigate cryptic structuring in this
region, and use the information to advise on current fisheries management units.
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
Postdoctoral research fellow, Royal Holloway University of London
Funding from EU FP7.
May 2009-Jan 2010
Working on the EU project, CLIMIGRATE, with Dr Ian Barnes, Prof Nigel Yoccoz, and Dr Love
Dalén. I used ancient DNA from red foxes to investigate whether animals migrated or died-off in
areas of their range that were rendered inhabitable by historical climate change. This will contribute
to information on 8 other species to establish the mode and tempo of adaptation to previous climate
change, with the ultimate aim of applying these models to forecasting.
Postdoctoral collaborative research, Institute of Zoology
Feb-May 2009
Collaboration with Dr Tom Hart; I developed and ran a multiplexed microsatellite system to
investigate genetic structuring of Macaroni penguin populations on South Georgia. Little is known
about this species, which appears to be declining due to an increase in competition.
Doctoral Fellowship, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
Feb-May 2008
I produced a briefing note and organised a seminar for MPs, on wildlife disease issues and policy.
This has led to a Private Members Bill to make it a legal requirement to assess the biodiversity
impact of disease outbreaks.
Editorial Assistant, British Journal of Cancer, Nature Publishing Group Dec 2003-Sept 2004
Involved specialist editorial skills e.g. proof reading, as well as management skills to run the office
alone on a regular basis.
Research Internship, Institute of Zoology
Data mining to collate mammalian life history traits for the PanTHERIA project:
http://www.pantheria.org/
May-Aug 2003
ADDITIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS

Reviewer for Molecular Ecology, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
Animal Conservation, Wildlife Research, PLOS One, BMC Evolutionary Biology, Diseases of
Aquatic Organisms, and Immunogenetics.
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Advisor to UK parliament on issues surrounding wildlife disease, 3 months full time, 2008
(see doctoral fellowship listed under ‘Previous Employment’ above, and publication listed
below).
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Departmental seminar co-ordinator (Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour), Royal Holloway
University of London, 2009-2010.
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Co-chair of London Evolutionary Research Network (LERN), 2005-2008: Organised two
annual conferences, arranged monthly seminars for two and a half years, two field trips,
student networking events, and postgraduate talk evenings. Also raised funds through grant
applications.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Guest lecturer on ‘Basics of Molecular Ecology’ at University of Helsinki, November 2010.
Two three-hour lectures and a one-week data analysis course for Masters level students (Total
44 hours teaching).
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Co-supervision of Abhilash Nair’s PhD project at University of Helsinki February 2010present. Project title: ‘Conservation genetics of endemic Indirana frogs in Western Ghats’.
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Supervision and participation in weekly PhD student meetings (8 PhD students) at the
University of Helsinki February 2010- present. Designed as troubleshooting sessions
and journal clubs for the students.
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Supervision of Natalia Przelomska’s undergraduate research project at Royal Holloway
University of London 2009-2010. Project title: ‘Genetics of hair length in horses’.
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Laboratory demonstrator at Queen Mary University of London 2006-2008.
Courses: ‘Evolution’, ‘Microbial World and Humans’, ‘Evolutionary Genetics’.
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Management, field and laboratory training at the Institute of Zoology, London 2006-2008.
Two long term research volunteers, and eight field volunteers.
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Tutor of undergraduate course at University College London, 2005-2007. Taught ‘Genes to
Organisms’ course (ten weeks each year) to six groups of ~15 undergraduate students.
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Private home tuition (total 70 hours), 2004-2005. Taught key stage 3 (students aged 13-14)
mathematics and biology.
PRESENTATIONS

Teacher AGF, Merilä J. “Uncovering cryptic structure of Baltic herring” Nordic Marine
Science Conference, Strömstad, Sweden (Oral presentation, Sept 2010).

Teacher AGF, Merilä J. “Adaptive differentiation in the herring” Centre of Excellence in
Evolutionary Genetics and Physiology, Naantali Finland (Oral presentation, March 2010).
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Teacher AGF, Barnes I. “A novel application of phylogeography for conservation and
management” PopGroup Conference, Liverpool, UK (Oral presentation, Jan 2010).

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “The effects of disease on genetic diversity in a
wild amphibian system” University of Jyväskylä, Finland (Seminar, Mar 2009).

Teacher AGF, Cunningham AA, Garner TWJ “Ranavirus in common frogs” Herpetological
Workers Meeting, Blackpool, UK (Oral, Jan 2009) Invited talk

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “How does disease affect genetic diversity?”
PopGroup Conference, Cardiff, UK (Oral presentation, Dec 2008)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Phylogeography of the common frog” British
Herpetological Society/ Herpetological Conservation Trust Scientific Meeting, Bournemouth,
UK (Oral presentation, Dec 2008) Invited talk

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Comparing neutral and adaptive genetic variation
in amphibians experiencing mass mortalities from disease” CUSO workshop, Switzerland
(Oral presentation, Sept 2008)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Phylogeography of the common frog” Queen
Mary, University of London research talk, UK (Oral presentation, Feb 2008)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Can population genetics be affected by disease?”
European Society of Evolutionary Biology Congress, Sweden (Poster presentation, August
2007)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Can population genetics be affected by disease?”
European Wildlife Disease Association workshop, Greece (Poster presentation- winner of
poster competition, April 2007)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Microsatellite variation in frogs under selection”
Queen Mary Postgraduate Symposium, UK (Poster, January 2007)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA.”Neutral variation in frogs under selection”
PopGroup conference, Manchester, UK (Oral presentation, December 2006)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Neutral variation in frogs under selection”
Institute of Zoology research talk, UK (seminar, December 2006)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Population and Immunocompetent Variation” 1st
European Congress of Conservation Biology, Hungary (Poster presentation, August
2006)

Carbone C, Teacher AGF, Rowcliffe JM. “Costs of Carnivory” Gordon Conference in Bates
College Maine, Metabolic Basis in Ecology Series, USA (Poster presentation, July, 2006)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Population and Immunocompetent Genetic
Variation: A Field-Based Study” Queen Mary, University of London, UK (Oral presentation,
January, 2006)

Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. “Population and Immunocompetent Genetic
Variation: A Field-Based Study” Institute of Zoology, UK (Oral presentation, January 2006)
Workshop participation:

‘Managing adaptive genetic variation in conservation biology’ - CUSO workshop, La Fouly,
Switzerland (Sept 2008).

‘Wildlife conservation and the threat of infectious diseases’ - European Wildlife Disease
Association workshop, Greece (Apr 2007).

‘Adaptive vs. neutral genetic variability in conservation genetics’ - ESF Workshop,
Tvärminne Zoological Station, Finland (Jan 2007).
SCIENTIFIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND AWARDS
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Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher’s project (355,050 Euros), Sept 2010
Nordic Marine Sciences Conference travel grant (5,820 SEK), July 2010
Heredity Fieldwork Grant (£1,000), Mar 2008
Winner of the poster prize at European Wildlife Disease Association conference, Apr 2007
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Research grant from Central Research Fund (£3,000), Jan 2007
Small Project Grant from Universities Fund for Animal Welfare (£3,050), Dec 2006
Genetics Society Travel Grant for Junior Scientists (£220), Dec 2006
Research grant from British Wildlife Health Association (£500), Oct 2006
NERC + CASE PhD studentship, Sept 2005
Agricola Scholarship for MRes, Imperial College London (£3,000), Sept 2004
PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS
University of Helsinki – Postdoctoral Researcher Grant 2010 - Adaptive genetic differentiation in
the open sea: unravelling cryptic adaptation and evolution. Application for 63,600 Euros for 3
years.
PUBLICATIONS
Published or in press:
Teacher AGF and Griffiths DJ. (2010) HapStar: Automated haplotype network layout and
visualisation. Molecular Ecology Resources Online early.
Teacher AGF, Cunningham AA, Garner TWJ. (2010) Assessing the long-term impact of Ranavirus
infection in wild common frog (Rana temporaria) populations. Animal Conservation 13(5): 514522.
Jones KE, Bielby J, Cardillo M, Fritz S, O’Dell J, Orme D, Safi K, Sechrest W, Boakes E, Carbone
C, Connolly C, Cutts M, Foster J, Grenyer R, Habib M, Plaster C, Price S, Rigby E, Rist J,
Teacher AGF, Bininda-Emonds O, Gittleman JL, Mace G, Purvis A (2009) PanTHERIA: A
species-level database of life-history, ecology and geography of extant and recently extinct
mammals. Ecology 90(9): 2648.
Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. (2009) Population genetic patterns suggest a behavioural
change in wild common frogs (Rana temporaria) following disease outbreaks (Ranavirus).
Molecular Ecology 18(15): 3163-3172.
Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. (2009) MHC class I variability in wild common frog
(Rana temporaria) populations exposed to a viral pathogen (Ranavirus) reveals evidence for
directional selection. PLoS ONE 4(2): e4616.
Teacher AGF, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA. (2009) European phylogeography of the common frog
(Rana temporaria): routes of postglacial colonisation into the British Isles, and evidence for an
Irish glacial refugium. Heredity 102(5):490-496.
Carbone C, Teacher AGF, Rowcliffe JM. (2007) The costs of carnivory. PLoS Biology 5(2): e22
[featured in Nature research highlights 15th Jan 2007].
Submitted or under revision:
Teacher AGF and Barnes I. Phylogeography of modern and ancient red fox in Europe: an unusual
lack of structuring, and the differing responses within the carnivores to historical climatic change.
(Heredity, submitted March 2010).
Kahilainen KK, Teacher AGF, Kähkönen K, Vinni M, Lehtonen H, Merilä M. First record of natural
hybridization and introgression between pikeperch Sander lucioperca and perch Perca fluviatilis.
(Journal of Applied Icthyology, submitted June 2010).
Nair A, Teacher AGF, Gopalan S, Kumar S, George S, Merilä J. Endemic Indirana frogs of the
Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. (Journal of Herpetology, submitted October 2010)
Nair A, George S, Gopalan, SV, Kumar S, Teacher AGF, Merilä J. Unexpectedly high cryptic
diversity of endemic Indirana frogs of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. (Proceedings of
Royal Society of London B., submitted October 2010)
In preparation:
Teacher AGF, Karjalainen K, Merilä J. Phylogeography and multiple adaptations to freshwater
habitat in European nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius).Target: Journal of Fish Biology
Projected submission: November 2010.
Hart T, Trathan PN, Brown R, Teacher AGF, Ahmed S, Rogers AD. Cryptic gene flow in a
philopatric seabird: panmixia and the Macaroni penguin. Target: Proceedings of Royal Society of
London B. Projected submission: November 2010.
Sumner S, Fanelli D, Lucas ER, Lengronne T, Teacher AGF. Colony genetic structure and
reproductive skew in a tropical polistine wasp, Polistes canadensis. Target: Molecular Ecology.
Projected submission: 2010.
Parliamentary briefing:
Teacher AGF Wildlife diseases (2008) Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote
307.
Popular science articles:
Teacher AGF Common frog immune system is key in fight against Ranavirus. Science for
Conservation, 2009 edition.
Teacher AGF Appeal feedback. FrogPage Newsletter, June 2009.
Teacher AGF Northside frogs could help British cousins. Northside People, March 2006.
Teacher AGF Irish frogs called upon to help their British cousins. Irish Examiner, 28th February
2006.
Press coverage:
Animal Conservation 2010:
Scientific American - http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=from-chytrid-toranavirus-another-d-2010-10-14
The Independent - http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/new-virus-causing-massdeaths-of-frogs-2100849.html
Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1318548/Frog-numbers-plummet-80virus-decimates-adult-population.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
The Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/science/Virus-causes-frog-numbers-to.6571015.jp
Also featured in The Times, The Sun, and many other places.
Heredity 2009:
Internet coverage, for example:
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ireland-frogs.html#cr
http://www.livescience.com/animals/090317-irish-frogs.html
PLoS One 2009:
High internet coverage, for example:
http://www.labspaces.net/98858/Disease_threat_may_change_how_frogs_mate
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mating-habits008.html#cr
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/w-dtm072709.php