Dr Alison Wright

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer

Dr Alison Wright
Profile picture of Dr Alison Wright
a.e.wright@sheffield.ac.uk

Full contact details

Dr Alison Wright
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
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S10 2TN
Profile
  • Senior Lecturer, University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½, UK (2024-present)
  • Lecturer, University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½, UK (2022-2023)
  • NERC Independent Research Fellow, University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½, UK (2017‒2022)
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, University College London, UK (2014‒2017)
  • DPhil Zoology, University of Oxford – thesis title ‘Mating system, sex-specific selection and the evolution of the avian sex chromosomes’ (2010‒2014)
  • BA Biological Sciences, University of Oxford (2007‒2010)
Research interests

Our research is focused on understanding how and why the diversity of life is produced and maintained. In particular, we study the genes responsible for differences between males and females and how they have evolved across organisms. We specialise in the use of state-of-the-art genomic sequencing approaches which we employ across a range of organisms.

Our overarching aim is to understand the genomic and evolutionary processes underlying sex differences and our key research themes include:

  • the origins and evolution of sex chromosomes
  • genomics of sexual dimorphism
  • genome evolution and sexual selection
  • evolution and genomics of honest sexual signals
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Price PD, Parkus SM & Wright AE (2023) . Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, 80. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Price PD, Palmer Droguett DH, Taylor JA, Kim DW, Place ES, Rogers TF, Mank JE, Cooney CR & Wright AE (2022) . Nature Ecology and Evolution, 6, 1035-1045. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooney CR, Mank JE & Wright AE (2021) . Evolution, 75(11), 2857-2866. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rogers TF, Palmer DH & Wright AE (2020) . Molecular Biology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooney CR, Sheard C, Clark AD, Healy SD, Liker A, Street S, Troisi CA, Szekely T, Thomas GH, Hemmings N & Wright A (2020) . Nature Communications, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Palmer DH, Rogers TF, Dean R & Wright AE (2019) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Rogers TF, Fumagalli M, Cooney CR & Mank JE (2019) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Fumagalli M, Cooney CR, Bloch NI, Vieira FG, Buechel SD, Kolm N & Mank JE (2018) . Evolution Letters, 2(2), 52-61. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Darolti I, Bloch NI, Oostra V, Sandkam B, Buechel SD, Kolm N, Breden F, Vicoso B & Mank JE (2017) . Nature Communications, 8. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Dean R, Zimmer F & Mank JE (2016) . Nature Communications, 7. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Harrison PW, Wright AE, Zimmer F, Dean R, Montgomery SH, Pointer MA & Mank JE (2015) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(14), 4393-4398. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Harrison PW, Zimmer F, Montgomery SH, Pointer MA & Mank JE (2015) . Molecular Ecology, 24(6), 1218-1235. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Moghadam HK & Mank JE (2012) . Genetics, 192(4), 1433-1445. RIS download Bibtex download

All publications

Journal articles

  • Price PD, Parkus SM & Wright AE (2023) . Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, 80. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smith J, Alfieri JM, Anthony N, Arensburger P, Athrey GN, Balacco J, Balic A, Bardou P, Barela P, Bigot Y , Blackmon H et al (2023) . Cytogenetic and Genome Research. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Price PD, Palmer Droguett DH, Taylor JA, Kim DW, Place ES, Rogers TF, Mank JE, Cooney CR & Wright AE (2022) . Nat Ecol Evol. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Price PD, Palmer Droguett DH, Taylor JA, Kim DW, Place ES, Rogers TF, Mank JE, Cooney CR & Wright AE (2022) . Nature Ecology and Evolution, 6, 1035-1045. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Lin Y, Darolti I, Furman BLS, Almeida P, Sandkam BA, Breden F, Wright AE & Mank JE (2022) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooney CR, Mank JE & Wright AE (2021) . Evolution, 75(11), 2857-2866. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rogers TF, Pizzari T & Wright AE (2021) . Journal of Heredity. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Shearn R, Wright AE, Mousset S, Régis C, Penel S, Lemaitre J-F, Douay G, Crouau-Roy B, Lecompte E & Marais GAB (2020) . eLife, 9. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rogers TF, Palmer DH & Wright AE (2020) . Molecular Biology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Darolti I, Wright AE & Mank JE (2020) . Genome Biology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooney CR, Sheard C, Clark AD, Healy SD, Liker A, Street S, Troisi CA, Szekely T, Thomas GH, Hemmings N & Wright A (2020) . Nature Communications, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Furman BLS, Metzger DCH, Darolti I, Wright AE, Sandkam BA, Almeida P, Shu JJ & Mank JE (2020) . Genome Biology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mank JE, Shu JJ & Wright AE (2019) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Palmer DH, Rogers TF, Dean R & Wright AE (2019) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Darolti I, Wright AE, Sandkam BA, Morris J, Bloch NI, Farré M, Fuller RC, Bourne GR, Larkin DM, Breden F & Mank JE (2019) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Darolti I, Bloch NI, Oostra V, Sandkam BA, Buechel SD, Kolm N, Breden F, Vicoso B & Mank JE (2019) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(26), 12607-12608. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Rogers TF, Fumagalli M, Cooney CR & Mank JE (2019) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Fox EA, Wright AE, Fumagalli M & Vieira FG (2019) . Bioinformatics. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Morris J, Darolti I, Bloch NI, Wright AE & Mank JE (2018) . Genes (Basel), 9(5). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Fumagalli M, Cooney CR, Bloch NI, Vieira FG, Buechel SD, Kolm N & Mank JE (2018) . Evolution Letters, 2(2), 52-61. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Darolti I, Wright AE, Pucholt P, Berlin S & Mank JE (2018) . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pucholt P, Wright AE, Liu Conze L, Mank JE & Berlin S (2017) . Molecular Biology and Evolution, 34(8), 1991-2001. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Darolti I, Bloch NI, Oostra V, Sandkam B, Buechel SD, Kolm N, Breden F, Vicoso B & Mank JE (2017) . Nature Communications, 8. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dean R, Wright AE, Marsh-Rollo SE, Nugent BM, Alonzo SH & Mank JE (2017) . Molecular Ecology, 26(2), 505-518. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Dean R, Zimmer F & Mank JE (2016) . Nature Communications, 7. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mullon C, Wright AE, Reuter M, Pomiankowski A & Mank JE (2015) . Nature Communications, 6(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Zimmer F, Harrison PW & Mank JE (2015) . Genetics, 201(2), 587-598. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dean R, Harrison PW, Wright AE, Zimmer F & Mank JE (2015) . Molecular Biology and Evolution, 32(10), 2646-2656. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Harrison PW, Wright AE, Zimmer F, Dean R, Montgomery SH, Pointer MA & Mank JE (2015) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(14), 4393-4398. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Harrison PW, Zimmer F, Montgomery SH, Pointer MA & Mank JE (2015) . Molecular Ecology, 24(6), 1218-1235. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Harrison PW, Montgomery SH, Pointer MA & Mank JE (2014) . Evolution, 68(11), 3281-3295. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE & Mank JE (2013) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 26(9), 1841-1853. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE, Moghadam HK & Mank JE (2012) . Genetics, 192(4), 1433-1445. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Moghadam HK, Pointer MA, Wright AE, Berlin S & Mank JE (2012) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(21), 8207-8211. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright AE & Mank JE (2012) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(14), 5144-5145. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Harrison PW, Wright AE & Mank JE (2012) . Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 23(2), 222-229. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bonsall MB & Wright AE (2012) . Ecology and Evolution, 2(3), 515-524. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright A, Almeida P, Mank J & Darolti I () A comparison of methodological approaches to the study of young sex chromosomes: A case study in Poecilia. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pointer MA, Harrison PW, Wright AE & Mank JE () . PLoS Genetics, 9(8), e1003697-e1003697. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Palmer Droguett DH, Fletcher M, Kocher S, Cabral-de-Mello DC & Wright AE (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooney CR, Sheard C, Clark AD, Healy SD, Liker A, Street SE, Troisi CA, Thomas GH, Székely T, Hemmings N & Wright AE () , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Postdocs

  • Daniela Palmer (2019-2021) - NSF Postdoctoral Fellow: Evolution and diversity of sex chromosomes

PhD students

  • Ben Alston (2023-2027) - NERC ACCE DTP: The evolution and genomics of honest sexual signals
  • Peter Price (2020-2024) - NERC ACCE DTP: The evolution and genetics of sexual dimorphism
  • Thea Rogers (2017-2021) - NERC ACCE DTP: Evolutionary dynamics of the avian sex chromosomes
  • Iulia Darolti (2015-2019) - BBSRC DTP: The evolution of sex chromosomes, and their role in sexually selected traits
Teaching activities
  • BIS418 - Advanced Biological Analysis
  • BIS311 - Topics in Evolutionary Genetics
  • BIS315 - Human Evolutionary Genetics
  • BIS305 - Human Genomics Lab Course
  • BIS223 - Evolutionary Biology
  • BIS302 - L3 dissertations BIS312 - L3 projects
Professional activities and memberships

Prizes and Awards

  • 2023 Philip Leverhulme Prize, Leverhulme Trust
  • 2022 European Research Council Starting Grant
  • 2021 Balfour Lecture, Genetics Society
  • 2019 'Rising Star in Evolution', University of Toronto
  • 2017 Jasper Loftus-Hills Young Investigator Award, American Society of Naturalists 2016 Certificate of Commendation, ZSL Scientific Awards Committee
  • 2015 Presidents’ Award for Outstanding Dissertation Paper in Evolution, Society for the Study of Evolution
  • 2012 Walter M. Fitch Prize Finalist, Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution

External activities

  • Associate Editor: Molecular Ecology (2024-present)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Member of Peer Review College, Natural Environment Research Council (2020 - present)
  • Associate Editor: Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2019 - present)

Internal activities

  • Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Ecology and Evolutionary
  • Biology Biological Sciences Athena Swan Action Group
  • Organiser of Annual Margaret Savigear Lectures