Profile Details

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Hire Leighton T.

United Kingdom

USD 60 /hr

PhD Molecular Ecologist | Metabarcoding, eDNA & Microbiome Bioinformatics | Remote & International Research

Profile Summary

I am a molecular ecologist and data analyst with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and extensive experience working with complex biological and environmental datasets. My research career has focused on DNA metabarcoding, eDNA, microbiome analysis, and population genetics, with projects spanning parasitology, entomology, marine ecology, and bacterial microbiomes. I have held postdoctoral and research fellow positions at institutions in New Zealand, Germany, and the Czech Republic, contributing to large, multi-stakeholder research initiatives and internationally peer-reviewed publications.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Molecular Biology
• ★ Genetics
• ★ R

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting

Writing Technical Writing

Research Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Work Experience

Resarcher

The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

July 2022 - Present

Education

PhD Genetics

Victoria University of Wellington

- Present

MSc Biosystematics

Imperial College

January 2007 - January 2008

Certifications

• Molecular Biology

  University of Victoria

  January 2015 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Leighton J. Thomas, Vera M. A. Zizka, Niklas W. Noll, Alice M. Scherges, Michel Posanski, Sarah J. Bourlat, Björn Rulik, Roland Mühlethaler, Gerlind U. C. Lehmann, Sebastian Koethe, et al. (2025). Identifying conservation hotspots and assessing species commonness and rarity: Baseline arthropod diversity in German nature reserves via national Malaise trap monitoring . Insect Conservation and Diversity.

Leighton J. Thomas, Marin Milotic, Felix Vaux, Robert Poulin(2022). Lurking in the water: testing eDNA metabarcoding as a tool for ecosystem-wide parasite detection . Parasitology. 149. (2). p. 261--269. Cambridge University Press ({CUP})

L. J. Thomas, L. Liggins, S. C. Banks, L. B. Beheregaray, M. Liddy, G. A. McCulloch, J. M. Waters, L. Carter, M. Byrne, R. A. Cumming, et al.(2021). The population genetic structure of the urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii in New Zealand with links to Australia . Marine Biology. 168. (9). Springer Science and Business Media {LLC}