I am working on invertebrate marine population genetics, connectivity and phylogeography. My main interest stands in understanding the evolutionnary processes driving genetic diversity and speciation in coral reef associate bivalves. To answer these questions I combine field work, observation studies, molecular biology and genetic statistics.

C.V and Published Articles



Sarah LEMER

Dept. of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
E-mail : sarahlemer@oeb.harvard.edu
sarah.lemer@gmail.com



EDUCATION

PhD - 2011
Genetic connectivity and historical demography of fragmented populations: tools to evaluate the impact of aquaculture on wild populations of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera in French Polynesia.
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) – CRIOBE  
Perpignan, France – Moorea, French Polynesia       
PI: Dr. Serge Planes
                                                                                                                                                    
Master degree in Oceanography, Biology and Marine Ecology - 2006  
Phylogeography of the reef fishes of the genus Siganidae in the Indo-Pacific
University of Aix-Marseille 2 - France
PI: Dr. Philippe Borsa
                                              
Bsc degree in Biology of Marine organisms - 2004
Evolution and development: Identification of genes from the Antennapedia family in different species of Homoscleromorpha sponges 
Histological identification of the different reproduction stages of sponges of the genus Aplysina. 
University of Aix-Marseille 2  - University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg - France     
PI:  Dr. Carole Borchiellini, Dr. Jean Vacelet, Dr. Nicole Boury-Esnault, Dr. Thierry Perez.                                                       

RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

Post doctoral Fellow - Giribet Lab       June 2012 - Present
 - Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of sympatric speciation through phenotypic variation in the family Pinnidae.
- Phylogeny and phylogeography of Tropical and Mediterranean marine mollusks; focus on the families Pinnidae, Fissurellidae, Haliotidae and Chitonidae.
- Comparative phylogeography of hosts and symbionts: the case of Pinnidae and Pontoniinae.
- Population genomics (RADSeq) of the Nautilidae in the Indo-Pacific: are the deep divergences among populations a result of founder effects or vicariance?
- Resolving phylogenetic relationships among the Pteriomorphian (Mollusca, Bivalvia) and within the phylum Sipuncula (peanut worms) using transcriptomic and phylogenomic analysis.
Harvard University, Dept. of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA
PI: Dr. Gonzalo Giribet

Post doctoral Fellow      December 2011 – Mai 2012
Transcriptomic processes leading to albinism and shell color variation in the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera.
French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) - Perpignan, France – Tahiti, French Polynesia
PI: Dr. Serge Planes and Dr. Yannick Gueguen

Lab manager        July 2006 – February 2008
Population genetics and phylogeography of early life stages of New Caledonian reef fishes:  development of genetic tools for the identification at the species level of Lethrinidae and Siganidae larvae, barcoding, population structure and stock identification. 
Research and Development Institute (IRD), Nouméa, New-Caledonia
PI: Dr. Philippe Borsa

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

TA - Life Science 1b: Genetics, Genomics and Evolution -Spring semester 2014
 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
TA - Invertebrate Zoology OEB 51 field class in Bocas del Toro, Panama - Spring semester 2013/2014
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Lecturer - Introduction to population genetics (for Master students) - 2009 - 2011  
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Perpignan France

Lecturer - Connectivity in marine environments (for Master students)       
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Perpignan France 

HONORS AND AWARDS 

Postdoctoral Award for Professional Development  - 1000 USD
 2013 - Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Harvard University; Cambridge, MA

Putnam Expedition Grant - 7500 USD
Putnam Expedition Grant - 10,192 USD  
2012 and 2013 - The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), Harvard University,  Cambridge, MA
Price for outstanding young Researchers - 25,000 euros  
2011 - The Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation; France
                                                                                                                       
Merit based scholarship - 4,000 euros   
2006 - The Ministry of National Education, Advanced Instruction and Research, France
                                                                                                                                          
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

World Congress of Malacology 2013 - Ponta Delgada, Azores

Sao Paolo School of Advance Science-Evolution workshop 2012 -  Ilha Bella, Brazil
International Coraf Reef Symposium 2012 (ICRS) - Cairns, Australia
Ocean Bridges 2011, 2010, 2009 CRIOBE and GUMP Marine stations -  Moorea, French Polynesia
Marine Genomics Europe Summer Course 2010 - Roscoff Biological Station, France

International Society of Reef Symposium 2010 (ISRS) - Wageningen, Netherlands
11th Pacific Science Inter-Congress 2009  - Tahiti French Polynesia

PEER­-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

G. Giribet, S. Lemer,. 2014. On the occurrence of Tuleocaris neglecta Chace, 1969 (Decapoda, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae) in Echondermetra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) (Echinodermata, Echinoidea, Echinometridae) in the archipelgos of Bocas del Toro, Panama. In press in Crustaceana

R Fernandez*, S Lemer*, G Giribet,. 2014. Comparative phylogeography and population genetic structure of three widespread mollusc species in the Mediterranean and near Atlantic. In press in Marine Ecology. * Co-first authors

 S Lemer, B Buge, A Bemis, G Giribet,. 2014. First molecular phylogeny of the circumtropical bivalve family Pinnidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia): evidence for high levels of cryptic species diversity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 75:11-23

S Lemer & S Planes, 2012. Translocation of wild populations: conservation implications for the genetic diversity of the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Molecular Ecology, 21: 2949-2962

AC Stier, MA Gil, CS McKeon, S Lemer, M Leray, SC Mills, CW Osenberg, 2012. Housekeeping mutualisms: do more symbionts facilitate host performance? PLoS ONE 7(4):e32079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032079

S Lemer, E Rochel, S Planes, 2011. Correction method for null alleles in species with variable microsatellite flanking regions, a case study of the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Journal of Heredity,102 (2) 243-246.

S Planes & S Lemer, 2011. Individual-based analysis opens new insights into understanding population structure and animal behaviour. Molecular Ecology, 20: 187-189.

P Borsa, S Lemer, D Aurelle, 2007. Patterns of lineage diversification in rabbitfishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 44: 427-435.

S Lemer , D Aurelle, L Vigliola, JD Durand, P Borsa, 2006. Cytochrome b barcoding, molecular systematics, and geographic differentiation in rabbitfishes (Siganidae). Comptes Rendus Biologies, 330 (1): 86-94.
In review 
S Lemer & S Planes,. 2014. High connectivity in the context of habitat fragmentation among populations of the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera in French Polynesia. In review in Marine Biology.
sarah.lemer@gmail.com
sarahlemer@oeb.harvard.edu
Dept. of Prganismic and Evolutionary Biology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge MA, 02138
USA
Phone: 1 617 496-5308
Fax: 1 617 496-5854