Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive

Post-doctoral researcher

paul.saunders[at]cefe.cnrs.fr

paul.saunders[at]umontpellier.fr

My research focuses on the dynamics of sex chromosomes evolution, with the aim of understanding how sex-determining systems originate, diversify, and occasionally turnover. I combine theoretical modelling and genomics to investigate the mechanisms driving recombination suppression, chromosome differentiation, and transitions between sex determining systems.

I am currently collaborating with Thomas Lenormand (ERC project RegEvol) on the development of individual-based simulation models that explore the dynamics of sex chromosome turnover, with a particular focus on trying to find out why some lineages experience frequent turnover, cycling through largely homomorphic sex chromosomes, while others evolve long-lived and often heteromorphic sex chromosomes.

Address

CEFE/CNRS – Ground Floor – Wing B – Office 9
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5

Brief CV

Research

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=thnVzOEAAAAJ&hl=f

2025- Postdoc - CEFE (FR)
2024-2025 ATER - Université de Montpellier / CEFE (FR)
2021-2024 Postdoc – University of Tasmania (AUS)
2018-2021 Postdoc – Université de Montpellier / ISEM (FR)
2016-2018 Postdoc – Université de Lausanne (CH)
2012-2015 PhD – Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (FR)

Supervision

2022-2026 – Co-supervision of a PhD Student – Carles Ferre Ortega – University of Tasmania
2026 – Supervision of a Masters student (ENS Lyon, FR) – Léo Di Vita
2025 – Co-supervision of a Masters student (BEE Montpellier) – Anthéa de Koninck
2020 – Co-supervision of a Masters student (MEME European program for Evolutionary Biology) – Niccole Porras
2014 - Co-supervision of a Masters student (BEE Montpellier) – Thomas Franco

Teaching

2024-2025 – Université de Montpellier – 192h – Practicals and tutorials (Bachelor degree): Intro to Ecology, Genetics, Biostatistics, molecular evolution etc
2016-2018 – Université de Lausanne – Approx 150h – Practicals and tutorials (Bachelors and Masters): Population genetics, molecular genomics, evolutionary genomics etc
2013-2015 – Université de Montpellier – 192h - Practicals and tutorials (Bachelor degree): Population genetics, animals and plants development and reproduction etc