Rafael Candido-Ribeiro

Rafael is a PhD student in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia and joined the CoAdaptTree project in September 2017. Rafael completed a master’s degree at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil where he investigated the morphological and genetic diversity of a Brazilian palm species at risk of extinction in two contrasting landscapes. He has also worked in the research division of a private forestry company in Brazil, accumulating experience related to tree breeding strategies and seed and seedling production.

Rafael is interested in understanding the distribution patterns of adaptive genetic variation among populations of trees as well as in comprehending how this variation relates to different environmental conditions.  As part of the CoAdapTree project, Rafael will use landscape genomics to identify genes involved in Douglas-fir climate adaptation and subsequently pursue a further understanding of the patterns of adaptation of Douglas-fir across its broad geographic range and in selectively bred populations.