doc. RNDr. Jan Štefka, Ph.D.
Head of Laboratory - Laboratory of Molecular Ecology and Evolution
Evolutionary Parasitology
Institute of Parasitology
Editor
Folia Parasitologica
Institute of Parasitology
+420 387775409
stefka@paru.cas.cz
nová budova 5. patro
webs: personal http://www.jstefka.info laboratory https://tinyurl.com/LabMolEcolEvol publication record https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1283-9730 Date of birth: April 25, 1979 Research interests and expertise Fieldwork abroad: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador (Galápagos), several EU countries, Russia. Education Further education in molecular analyses and genomics: Professional appointments Organisation of international scientific meetings Nazarizadeh M, Martinů J, Nováková M, Stanko M, Štefka J (2022) Phylogeography of the parasitic mite Laelaps agilis in Western Palearctic shows lineages lacking host specificity but possessing different demographic histories. BMC Zool., 7: 15. Martinů J, Štefka J, Poosakkannu A, Hypša V (2020) “Parasite turnover zone” at secondary contact: a new pattern in host-parasite population genetics. Mol. Ecol., 29: 4653–4664. Martinů J, Hypša V, Štefka J (2018) Host specificity driving genetic structure and diversity in ectoparasite populations: co-evolutionary patterns in Apodemus mice and their lice. Ecol. Evol., 8: 10008–10022. Vlček J, Hoeck PEA, Keller LF, Wayhart J, Dolinová I, Štefka J (2016) Balancing selection and genetic drift create unusual patterns of MHCIIβ variation in Galápagos mockingbirds. Mol. Ecol., 25: 4757–4572. Štefka J, Hoeck PEA, Keller LF, Smith VS (2011) A hitchhikers guide to the Galápagos: co-phylogeography of Galápagos mockingbirds and their parasites. BMC Evol. Biol., 11: 284. Selected awards and fellowships Invited seminars and conference lectures (last 5 years, selected) Teaching and Mentoring Abroad stays Peer review Nat. Ecol. Evol., Mol. Ecol., Mol. Biol. Evol., J. Biogeogr., Biol. J. Linn. Soc., Ecol. Evol., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol., PLoS ONE, J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res., Int. J. Parasitol., Parasitology, J. Parasitol., Folia Zool., Aquat. Invasions, R. Soc. Open Sci., New Zeal. J. Mar. Freshwater Res., BMC Res. Notes Associate editor (for ectoparasites, ecology and co-evolution) in Folia Parasitologica. Foreign collaborations (selected, last 5 years) Bioinformatic skills Unix command line (advanced), bash scripting (intermediate), R scripting (intermediate), Python scripting (intermediate). Language skills Czech (native), English (fluent), Spanish (intermediate), German (basic), Russian (basic).Links
Studies of molecular ecology, biogeography and evolutionary processes in vertebrates and parasites. Reconstructions of population genetic and phylogenetic relationships using molecular and computational biology tools, analyses of multilocus and genomic data. Conservation genetics and invasive species. Field sampling of metazoan biological material.
2008: PhD degree: Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia (USB). PhD thesis topic: Host specificity, genetic variability and genealogy in populations of model parasite species.
2003: Master degree: Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, USB. Thesis: Ecological aspects of hybridisation between fire-bellied toads Bombina bombina and B. variegata., 27 pp.
2001: Bachelor degree: Introductory Biology Programme, Faculty of Biological Sciences, USB.
2012: RADseq Workshop (GENECO, University of Lund, Sweden)
2011: Workshop on Genomics, Europe (Český Krumlov, Czech Rep.)
2009: Workshop on Molecular Evolution, Europe (Český Krumlov, Czech Rep.)
2014-present: Research scientist – Laboratory head, Biology Centre, CAS.
2016-present: Associate professor (part time, full time from Sept. 2022), Faculty of Science, USB.
2014-2016: Research scientist & lecturer (part time), Faculty of Science, USB.
2011-2013: Postdoc researcher, Biology Centre, CAS & Faculty of Science, USB.
2009-2011: Marie Curie Galapagos Fellow, Entomology Department, NHM, London.
2016 - 2022: Workshop on Population and Speciation Genomics, Europe, Czech Rep., Co-director.
2018: 6th International Conference on Phthiraptera, Brno, Czech Rep., Scientific Committee Member.
2015 & 2013: Workshop on Molecular Evolution, Europe, Czech Rep., Co-director.
2012: Workshop on Genomics, Advanced Topic Sessions, Czech Rep., Associate co-director.
2010: Workshop on Molecular Evolution, Europe, Czech Rep., Teaching Assistant.
Five selected publications
2018: Fulbright Fellowship. Fulbright Commission, USA.
2014: Otto Wichterle Award, received from the Czech Academy of Sciences.
2009-2011: Marie Curie Fellowship (IEF, FP7).
2008: Dean’s Award, Faculty of Science, USB, Czech Rep. Price awarded annually to two phd students for excellent scientific and study results.
Štefka J (2022) Plenary lecture: Co-evolutionary imprints of genomic diversification in parasite populations. ESEB 2022, Prague, CZ.
Štefka J (2019) Seminars: Lousy & wormy tales: Drivers of population genetic divergence in host-parasite co-evolution. (University of Utah and University of Illinois).
Štefka J (2018) Seminar: Genetic diversity in host-parasite co-evolution (University of Basel).
Štefka J (2018) Seminar: Stowaways: tracing parasite introductions using genetics (Ostrava University).
Štefka J (2017) Seminar: Population genetics of parasite invasions (Masaryk University in Brno).
Defended theses: 1 PhD., 5 MSc. and 4 BSc. at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia (FS USB).
Currently supervising: 4 PhD., 1 MSc. and 1 BSc. theses at the FS, USB.
Teaching (at FS USB): Conservation Genetics (2012-present), Population and evolutionary genetics (2016-present); practicals in: Molecular Ecology (2011-present), Molecular Phylogenetics (2014-2015), Bioinformatics (2009) and Field Zoology (2006-2008).
2018-2019 (10 months): Fulbright Visiting Scholar. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Population genomics.
2009-2011: NHM, London, UK. Cophylogeography of ecological replicates: the coevolution and biogeography of Galapagos mockingbirds and their ectoparasites. Marie Curie Fellowship.
2007 (Nov.-Dec.): Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil. Field sampling with focus on the helminth fauna of endemic fishes.
2006-2007 (several short-term stays): Université Paul Sebatier Toulouse, France, Laboratoire Evolution Diversité Biologique, Research theme: Genetic variability in European populations of Ligula intestinalis. Barrande fellowship.
2006 (Apr.-Jun.): University of Glasgow, UK, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Research theme: Microsatellite characterization in Ligula intestinalis (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea), Socrates/Erasmus fellowship.
Dr. Julian Catchen (University of Illinois, USA) - computational population genomics.
Dr. Emiliano Trucchi (Marche Polytechnic University, IT) - population genomics.
Prof. Lukas Keller & Dr. Paquita Hoeck (Zurich University, CH) – Galápagos mockingbird evolution.
Dr. Ivica Králová-Hromadová & Dr. Eva Čisovská (Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK) - helminth evolution and invasive species.
