Maeva A.

My research interests focus on understanding how evolutionary and ecological processes generate, shape, and maintain genetic diversity in natural populations.

During my Ph.D. at the University of La Reunion, I investigated the genetic diversity and phylogeography of honey bee populations from the South West Indian Ocean islands, with a particular focus on natural colonization by A. mellifera unicolor and human-mediated gene hybridization. Later in my postdoctoral research at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), I developed strong expertise in the genomics of parasitic mites, investigating how Varroa destructor and V. jacobsoni successfully switched hosts from Apis cerana to Apis mellifera. This work involved generating and analyzing high-quality de novo genome assemblies and comparative genomic datasets to identify genetic mechanisms associated with host switching and invasion. I also build the World Varroa Collection with the help of beekeepers, COLOSS scientists and honey bee researchers across 66 countries between 2016 and 2021.

I now extend my expertise to other insect systems, particularly locusts, where I use transcriptomic and comparative approaches to investigate the evolutionary origins and molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation.