Curriculum Vitae

Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras (UPR-RP), San Juan, PR, 00931, Puerto Rico

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Employment

2005 - present Adjunct researcher of Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)

2005 - present Assistant professor of Biology, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras (CN - UPR)

2004 - present Senior visiting researcher of Biology, Universidade Fededal do Amazonas (UFAM)

2002 - 2004 Postdoctoral research associate in Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM)

1999 - 2002 NSF Postdoctoral research associate in Department of Zoology, University of Konstanz (UK)

Education

1993 - 1999 Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Population Biology at Washington University (WUSTL)

1988 - 1992 B.S. in Biochemistry at Binghamton University (BU)

Research interests

I am interested in using molecular phylogenetic, population genetic and quantitative genetic methods to investigate life-history evolution, biogeography and phylogeography of fishes. I focus primarily on rivulid, poeciliid and cyprinodontoid killifishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes. I am also studying phylogeography and population genetics of several Amazonian vertebrate species including Arapaima gigas (pirarucu), Symphysodon spp. (discus), Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee), Melanosuchus niger (black caiman) and Caiman crocodilus (spectacled caiman). In my last postdoc I have also undertaken several quantitative genetic and genomic studies of complex phenotypic traits in strains of laboratory mice. I am transfering these quantitative genetic and genomic methods to cyprinodontiform killifishes in order to understand the molecular developmental basis of complex life-history traits and phenotypic structures (developmental diapause, placentation and gonopodium). I am also interested in geometric morphometric methods, and the evolution of shape in fishes and crocodilians, as well as their genomic, ecological and geographical correlates. Many of the studies are done in an ecological context, and have laboratory and field components. Many studies are also done collaboratively. I encourage and expect my students to independently develop projects and to actively engage in their research. As upcoming professionals I also encourage my students to seek small sources of funding for their studies and for field research. During their graduate studies, I expect my students to dedicate themselves to their studies and research, and to produce high quality work suitable for publication in internationally recognized peer reviewed journals that eventually will allow them to become professionals in their chosen fields.

Selected publications (All publications)

Hrbek, T., J. Seckinger and A. Meyer. 2007. A phylogenetic and biogeographic perspective on the evolution of poeciliid fishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43:986-998 [PDF]

Hrbek, T., R. A. de Brito, B. Wang, L. S. Pletscher, and J. M. Cheverud. 2006. Genetic characterization of a new set of recombinant inbred lines (LGXSM) formed from the intercross of SM/J and LG/J inbred mouse strains. Mammalian Genome 17: 417-429 [PDF]

Hrbek, T., I. P. Farias, M. Crossa, I. Sampaio, J. I. R. Porto, and A. Meyer. 2005. Population genetic structure of Arapaima gigas, world's biggest freshwater fish: implications for conservation. Animal Conservation 8:297-308 [PDF]

Hrbek, T., D. C. Taphorn, and J. E. Thomerson. 2005. Molecular phylogeny of Austrofundulus Myers (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with revision of the genus and the description of four new species. Zootaxa 852:1-39. [PDF]

Hrbek, T., and A. Meyer. 2003. Closing of the Tethys Sea and the phylogeny of Eurasian killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Cyprinodontidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16:7-26. [PDF]

Hrbek, T., F. Küçük, T. Frickey, K. N. Stölting, R. H. Wildekamp, and A. Meyer. 2002. Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Aphanius (Pisces, Cyprinodontiformes) species complex of central Anatolia, Turkey. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 25:125-137. [PDF]

Hrbek, T., and A. Larson. 1999. The evolution of diapause in the killifish family Rivulidae (Atherinomorpha, Cyprinodontiformes): A molecular phylogenetic and biogeographic perspective. Evolution 53:1200-1216. [PDF]