Diogo Melo
Research Scope
My work focuses on understanding the interplay between genetic and environmental covariation in shaping phenotypic differences between individuals and complex trait evolution. Organisms are integrated systems; their phenotypic attributes are the result of dynamic and complex networks of interactions between genes, transcripts, development, and their environment. I aim to understand how this complex genetic architecture responds to environmental perturbation and genetic variation, and how these networks lead to the wide array of phenotypic variation we observe in nature. My research couples quantitative and population genetics with functional genomics and computational tools.
Skills
Quantitative genetics, evolutionary theory, bioinformatics, individual-based modeling, Bayesian modeling and statistics.
Languages
- Portuguese: Fluent
- English: Fluent
Work
2020-current
Postdoctoral researcher
- Princeton University
- Ayroles Lab
- Principal Investigator: Julien Ayroles
- Princeton Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow
2019-20
Postdoctoral researcher
- Universidade de São Paulo
- Mammalian Evolution Lab
- Principal Investigator: Gabriel Marroig
Education
2014-18
Doctoral Degree in Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
- Universidade de São Paulo
- Supervisor: Gabriel Marroig
2014, 2016
Visiting PhD scholar at the University of Bath
- University of Bath
- Supervisor: Jason Wolf
- Funded by FAPESP international travel grant (2016)
- Funded by the Future Research Leaders Incubator Scheme (2016) and Global Research Scholarship Scheme (2014) from the University of Bath
2010-12
Master’s Degree in Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
- Universidade de São Paulo
- Supervisor: Gabriel Marroig
2007-09
Biological Sciences
- Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in evolutionary biology
- Universidade de São Paulo
2003-07
Molecular Sciences Course
- Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in biology, applied mathematics and statistical mechanics
- Universidade de São Paulo
Articles in progress
2023
Longitudinal sequencing reveals polygenic and epistatic nature of genomic response to selection
- Simon K.G. Forsberg*, Diogo Melo*, Scott Wolf, Jennifer K. Grenier, Minjia Tang, Lucas P. Henry, Luisa F. Pallares, Andrew G. Clark, Julien F. Ayroles
- in prep.
- * co-first authors
Preprints
2023
Revisiting the Modularity of Gene Co-Expression Networks Using the Stochastic Block Model
- Diogo Melo, Luisa F. Pallares, Julien F. Ayroles
- bioRxiv 2023.05.31.542906. doi: 10.1101/2023.05.31.542906
- Luisa F. Pallares, Diogo Melo, Scott Wolf, Evan M. Cofer, Varada Abhyankar, Julie Peng, Julien F. Ayroles
- bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2023.05.20.541576
- Scott Wolf, Varada Abhyankar, Diogo Melo, Julien F. Ayroles, Luisa F. Pallares
- bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2023.03.09.531909
Research Articles
2023
Characterizing the landscape of gene expression variance in humans
- Scott Wolf*, Diogo Melo*, Kristina Garske, Luisa F. Pallares, Julien F. Ayroles
- PLoS Genetics. 19, e1010833. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010833
- * co-first authors
2023
Morphological integration during postnatal ontogeny: implications for evolutionary biology
- Hubbe A., F. Machado, Diogo Melo, G. Garcia, H. Sebastião, A. Porto, J. Cheverud, G. Marroig
- Evolution. 2023 77(3): 763–775. doi:10.1093/evolut/qpac052
- Fukimoto N., Diogo Melo, R. Palme, A. J. Zanella, O. Mendonça-Furtado
- Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2020 224:104919. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104919
2019
Genomic Perspective on Multivariate Variation, Pleiotropy, and Evolution
- Diogo Melo, G. Marroig, J. B. Wolf
- Journal Of Heredity. 2019 110(4):479-493. doi:10.1093/jhered/esz011
- Machado F., A. Hubbe, Diogo Melo, A. Porto, G. Marroig
- Evolution. 2019 73(12):2518-2528. doi:10.1111/evo.13864
2017
The evolution of phenotypic integration: How directional selection reshapes covariation in mice
- Penna A.*, Diogo Melo*, S. Bernardi, M. I. Oyarzabal, G. Marroig
- Evolution, 2017 71(10):2370–2380. doi:10.1111/evo.13304
- * co-first authors
2017
Insights from Systems Biology in Physiological Studies: Learning from Context
- Imenez Silva P. H., Diogo Melo, P. O. R. de Mendonça
- Cell Physiology and Biochemestry, 2017 42(3):939-951. doi:10.1159/000478648
2016
Modularity: Genes, Development, and Evolution
- Diogo Melo*, A. Porto*, J. M. Cheverud, G. Marroig
- Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 2016 47:463-486 doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032409
- * co-first authors
2016
Costly learning: preference for familiar food persists despite negative impact on survival
- Costa T. M., E. A. Hebets, Diogo Melo, R. H. Willemart
- Biology Letters, 2016 20160256. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0256
- Hubbe A., Diogo Melo, G. Marroig
- Paleobiology, 2016 42(3):465-488 doi:10.1017/pab.2015.49
2015
EvolQG - An R package for evolutionary quantitative genetics
- Diogo Melo, G. Garcia, A. Hubbe, A. P. Assis, G. Marroig
- F1000 Research, 2015 4:925 doi:10.12688/f1000research.7082.3
2015
Fitness Trade-offs Result in the Illusion of Social Success
- Wolf J. B., J. A. Howie, K. Parkinson, N. Gruenheit, Diogo Melo, D. Rozen, C. R. L. Thompson
- Current Biology, 2015 25(8):1086–1090 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.061
2015
Directional Selection can Drive the Evolution of Modularity in Complex Traits
- Diogo Melo, G. Marroig
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015 112(2):470-475 doi:10.1073/pnas.1322632112
2012
Modularity, noise, and natural selection
- Marroig G., Diogo Melo, G. Garcia
- Evolution, 2012 66(5):1506–1524 doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01555.x
- Marroig G., Diogo Melo, A. Porto, G. Garcia e H. Sebastião
- Evolutionary Biology, 2011 38:225-241 doi:10.1007/s11692-010-9107-2
Book chapters
2019
How does modularity in the genotype-phenotype map interact with development and evolution?
- Diogo Melo
- In: Old Questions and Young Approaches to Animal Evolution. Martín-Durán J., Vellutini B. (eds)
- Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18202-1_11
2016
Modularity and Integration
- Assis A. P., B. Costa, D. Rossoni, Diogo Melo, G. Marroig
- Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, 2016 vol. 3, pp. 34–40. Oxford: Academic Press. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-800049-6.00044-5
Conferences and meetings
2023
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) Meeting, Ferrara, Italy
- Forsberg S.K.G., Diogo Melo, Wolf S., Grenier J. K., Tang M., Henry L.P., Pallares L.F., Clark A.G., Ayroles J.
- Longitudinal sequencing reveals polygenic and epistatic nature of genomic response to selection
- Poster
2023
Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Gordon Research Conference, Smithfield, RI, United States
- Forsberg S.K.G., Diogo Melo, Wolf S., Grenier J. K., Tang M., Henry L.P., Pallares L.F., Clark A.G., Ayroles J.
- Longitudinal sequencing reveals polygenic and epistatic nature of genomic response to selection
- Poster
2018
II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology 2018, Montpellier, France
- Diogo Melo, Eleanor O’Brien, John Hunt, Jason Wolf, Gabriel Marroig
- Genetic architecture and the evolution of variational modularity
- Poster
2016
5th meeting of the European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology (EED), Uppsala, Sweden
- Diogo Melo, Gabriel Marroig
- The Evolution of Pleiotropy and Modularity
- Invited speaker
2015
Evolution 2015, Guarujá, Brazil
- Diogo Melo, Anna Penna, Sandra Bernardi, Maria Oyarzabal, Gabriel Marroig
- Changes in multivariate covariance structures under directional selection
- Speaker
2015
Evolution 2015, Guarujá, Brazil
- Diogo Melo, Gabriel Marroig
- The Effect of Directional Selection on Pleiotropy and Modularity
- Poster
2009
10th International Mammalogical Congress, Mendoza, Argentina
- Attendant
2007
V Brazilian Meeting on Simulational Physics, Ouro Preto, Brazil
- Diogo Melo, Vera Henriques
- Order-disorder phase transitions on dissociating model lipid membranes
- Poster
Research
2020-current
Ayroles Lab, Lewis-Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University
- Using experimental populations to understand gene by environment interactions
- Uncovering the role of epistasis in adaptation
- Novel methods for gene expression analysis
- Using individual based simulations to understand complex trait evolution
2008-20
Mammal Evolution Laboratory, IB, USP
- Understanding the evolution of genetic architecture
- Multivariate statistics for morphological data
- Efficient computer implementation of morphometric techniques
- Linking allelic variation to genetic covariation and modularity
2005-07
Thermodynamics and statistical physics of physical systems of biological interest, IF, USP
- Computer simulations of biological membranes
Additional Education
2018
The Search For Selection, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Prof. Bruce Walsh
- NIMBioS, University of Tennessee
2015
Introduction to Network Tools in Biosciences - 2nd Edition, Els Hostalets de Pierola, Spain
- Diego Rasskin-Gutman and Borja Esteve-Altava
- Transmitting Science
2008
Complex Systems Summer School, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Santa Fe Institute
2008
Mammal Embryology, São Paulo, Brazil
- ICB, USP
2007
Course in Neurobiology, Rio Claro, Brazil
- Prof. Michael Hendrick and Prof. Tobias Wang
- UNESP
2006
Summer School on Soft Matter Physics, São Paulo, Brazil
- IF, USP
Teaching
2023 Statistical models: linking data to theory, ICTP-SAIFR, Unesp
- Graduate level course
- Part of the Serrapilheira Training Program in Quantitative Ecology
- 30h workload
2020 Scientific writing, IB, USP
- Graduate level course offered to all graduate programs at IB/USP
- 32h workload
2017, 2019
Modularity: connecting patterns and processes in multivariate evolution, FFCLRP, USP
- Graduate level course offered in the Comparative Biology program at FFCLRP/USP
- 30h workload
2017
MCMC: step by step, IB, USP
- Workshop on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method
- 20h workload
2012
Introduction to data manipulation in the R programming language, IO, USP
- Short course at the Instituto Oceanográfico - USP
- 12h workload
Teaching Assistant
2022
GHP351: Epidemiology: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective, EEB, Princeton University
- Undergraduate course
- GHP351
2020
Human Genomics: The Past, Present and Future of the Human Genome, EEB, Princeton University
- Undergraduate course
- ISC326/EEB326/MOL326/GHP326
2012-13, 2019
Evolutionary Biology, IB, USP
- Undergraduate course for biology students
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva
2012-19
Use of the R programming language for data analysis in ecology, IB, USP
- Graduate course for biology students
- Departamento de Ecologia
2016
Quantitative genetics course, IB, USP
- Graduate course in Quantitative Genetics
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva
2016
V Southern-Summer School on Mathematical Biology, ICTP-SAIFR, Unesp
- Graduate course in applied mathematics in biology
- International Center for Theoretical Physics e Instituto de Física Teórica da Unesp
2015
Field biology course in the Atlantic Forest, IB, USP
- Graduate course in ecology and scientific writing
- Departamento de Ecologia
2015
IV Southern-Summer School on Mathematical Biology, ICTP-SAIFR, Unesp
- Graduate course in applied mathematics in biology
- International Center for Theoretical Physics e Instituto de Física Teórica da Unesp
2014
Statistical modeling for ecology and natural resources, IB, USP
- Graduate course for biology students
- Departamento de Ecologia, IB - USP e Depto. de Ciências Florestais, Esalq - USP
2014
III Southern-Summer School on Mathematical Biology, ICTP-SAIFR, Unesp
- Graduate course in applied mathematics in biology
- International Center for Theoretical Physics e Instituto de Física Teórica da Unesp
2011, 2014
Evolutionary Processes, IB, USP
- Undergraduate course for biology students
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva
2007-09
Membrane Physiology, ICB, USP
- Undergraduate course for medical students
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica