Helen Weber

I am a conservation geneticist with a focus on using genomic tools to inform conservation management, particularly for understudied and exploited marine species that often lack legal protections. My research aims to uncover the genetic structure, diversity, and adaptive potential of these populations, with the ultimate goal of guiding effective conservation and management strategies.

I completed my master’s degree studying the population structure of cownose rays in the western Atlantic, contributing to federal protection efforts in the United States and the halting of hunting competitions targeting this group. Building on this work, my PhD research will expand to examine cownose rays on a global scale.

My work broadly addresses key themes in conservation genomics, such as adaptation, population subdivision, and the impacts of exploitation, with a particular emphasis on applying bioinformatics and genomic techniques to better understand and protect marine biodiversity.