Martin Stervander Awarded Prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship
Exceptional news! Dr. Martin Stervander has been awarded a highly prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship by the European Union!
Martin will spend two years at the Natural History Museum London studying the genomics of flight loss in birds, applying comparative genomics skills developed during his time in the Cresko Lab. His project, titled “The genomic underpinnings of convergent evolution: Repeated loss of flight in island rails, the greatest avian colonizers,” scored in the top 70 of 9,700 evaluated proposals - an extraordinary achievement!
About Marie Curie Fellowships
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowships are: - Europe’s most prestigious postdoctoral awards - Highly competitive with <10% success rate - Career-defining opportunities for researchers - Pathways to research independence - Recognition of scientific excellence
Outstanding Achievement
Martin’s proposal ranking: - Top 70 out of 9,700 proposals evaluated - Top 0.7% of all applications - Exceptional score reflecting innovation and impact - Recognition of world-class research potential - Validation of comparative genomics approach
The Research Project
Martin’s fellowship will investigate: - Genomic basis of flight loss in island birds - Convergent evolution across rail species - Repeated colonization of islands - Adaptation to island environments - Evolutionary constraints and possibilities
Why Rails?
Rails are ideal for this study because: - Multiple independent losses of flight - Exceptional island colonizers - Clear evolutionary patterns - Available museum specimens - Important for understanding convergent evolution
Skills from the Cresko Lab
Martin will apply expertise gained here in: - Comparative genomics methodologies - Analyzing morphological evolution - Working with museum specimens - Bioinformatic pipeline development - Integration of development and evolution
Natural History Museum London
This prestigious institution offers: - World-class ornithology collections - State-of-the-art genomics facilities - Leading evolutionary biologists - Global research networks - Historic scientific collections
Broader Impact
This research will advance understanding of: - Mechanisms of convergent evolution - Island biogeography patterns - Conservation of flightless birds - Predictability of evolution - Genomic architecture of complex traits
Building Bridges
Martin’s fellowship strengthens connections between: - Cresko Lab and European institutions - Fish and bird genomics communities - US and UK research networks - Museum and university research - Classic and modern evolutionary biology
Career Development
The Marie Curie Fellowship positions Martin for: - Independent research career - Faculty positions globally - Leading international collaborations - Major research grants - Scientific leadership roles
Lab Pride
Martin’s success reflects: - Quality of postdoctoral training in our lab - International impact of our research - Strength of comparative genomics approach - Success of our alumni
Congratulations Martin on this exceptional achievement! We’re proud of your success and excited to see your groundbreaking research on convergent evolution!