Haw Chuan (HC) Lim, PhD

Research Focus

The goal of my research centers on understanding how genetic, ecological, geographic and historical factors interact to generate, maintain and distribute biological diversity. Because these forces intertwine and operate on a continuum of spatio-temporal scales, my research ‚ which relies on diverse approaches (e.g., population genetics, phylogenetics), species distribution modeling, genome-scale data, ecological data, and powerful bioinformatics tools ‚ emphasizes an integrated approach to problem solving.

Current Projects

■ Gut microbiome of vertebrate species and their relationships with health and ecological niche of hosts

■ Ecological speciation of sparrows adapted to hot and dry environments

■ Landscape genetics of urban birds

■ Pathogens of pollinators in northern Virginia

■ Biogeographic histories, speciation, and population genetics of Southeast Asian birds

Select Publications

■ Lim, H. C., & Braun, M. J. (2016). High‐throughput SNP genotyping of historical and modern samples of five bird species via sequence capture of ultraconserved elements. Molecular Ecology Resources, 16(5), 1204-1223.

■ Lim, H. C., et al. (2017). Sundaland’s east–west rain forest population structure: variable manifestations in four polytypic bird species examined using RAD‐Seq and plumage analyses. Journal of Biogeography, 44(10), 2259-2271.

■ Lim, H. C., et al. (2015). Deep sequencing and ecological characterization of gut microbial communities of diverse bumble bee species. PLoS One, 10(3), e0118566.