Professor Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos
Professor

Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 51767

Background

In The Ortiz-Barrientos Lab we seek to understand how natural selection drives the origin of traits and new species. We combine empirical and theoretical approaches from across multiple disciplines.

We are located in beautiful Brisbane, Australia, in the School of The Environment at The University of Queensland.

Please explore our pages to learn about research, culture, and the team of scientists that bring their passion and creativity to discovering how nature works.

Availability

Professor Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Bioinformatics and computational biology Biological Sciences Biological adaptation Evolutionary biology Genetics Genetics not elsewhere classified Molecular evolution Statistical and quantitative genetics

Research interests

  • The genetic basis of speciation

    As populations adapt to new environmental challenges, they may become reproductively isolated from other populations. The genetic changes associated with the evolution of reproductive isolation remain largely unknown. Therefore we have a limited understanding of how ecology and genetics interact during the origin of new species. In the Ortiz-Barrientos lab, we tackle this problem by studying the early stages of speciation in the S. lautus species complex (sensu lato).

  • The genetics basis of adaptation

    Our lab uses various tools to identify genes responsible for ecotypic differences and traits responsible for fitness differences in the wild. We investigate the adaptive significance of genetic correlations during ecotypic divergence and the relative contributions of additive vs. non-additive effects to fitness variation.

  • The genetic basis of parallel evolution

    Populations experiencing similar selective pressures may evolve similar traits. As they adapt to similar environments, populations may fix similar alleles, or they might reach a phenotypic solution via different biochemical and genetic routes. Our lab investigates how coastal populations of S. lautus have repeatedly and independently adapted to contrasting habitats along the Australian coast.

  • Evolutionary systems biology in biodiversity and agriculture

    We can study organisms at the cellular level, during growth and differentiation, and during reproduction. We aim to connect these processes to the transmission of genetic information across generations by incorporating concepts and tools from systems biology into population genetics.

Research impacts

Our research informs how plants come about and how they adapt to harsh conditions. As we seek to discover rules for adaptation, we hope this knowledge will guide research in agriculture and conservation biology. We currently collaborate with an amazing suite of researchers to figure out how plant systems work. Together we aim to discover better ways to produce healthy and productive crops that increase food security.

Search Professor Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos’s works on UQ eSpace

100 works between 1999 and 2026
All (100) Journal Article (83) Other Outputs (6) Conference Publication (8) Book Chapter (3)

41 - 60 of 100 works

2024

Other Outputs

Data associated with publication: The genetic architecture of polygenic adaptation under a network-derived trait

O'Brien, Nicholas, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Engelstaedter, Jan and Holland, Barbara (2024). Data associated with publication: The genetic architecture of polygenic adaptation under a network-derived trait. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/1a19d80

Data associated with publication: The genetic architecture of polygenic adaptation under a network-derived trait

2024

Other Outputs

Data associated with "Gravitropic gene expression divergence associated with adaptation to contrasting environments in an Australian wildflower"

Broad, Zoe and Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel (2024). Data associated with "Gravitropic gene expression divergence associated with adaptation to contrasting environments in an Australian wildflower". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/eaea206

Data associated with "Gravitropic gene expression divergence associated with adaptation to contrasting environments in an Australian wildflower"

2024

Journal Article

The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network

O’Brien, Nicholas L. V., Holland, Barbara, Engelstädter, Jan and Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel (2024). The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network. PLOS Genetics, 20 (5) e1011289, e1011289. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011289

The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network

2024

Journal Article

The genomic consequences of selection across development

James, Maddie E. and Ortiz‐Barrientos, Daniel (2024). The genomic consequences of selection across development. Molecular Ecology, 33 (4) e17280, e17280. doi: 10.1111/mec.17280

The genomic consequences of selection across development

2023

Journal Article

The Ecology of Hybrid Incompatibilities

Thompson, Ken A., Brandvain, Yaniv, Coughlan, Jenn M., Delmore, Kira E., Justen, Hannah, Linnen, Catherine R., Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Rushworth, Catherine A., Schneemann, Hilde, Schumer, Molly and Stelkens, Rike (2023). The Ecology of Hybrid Incompatibilities. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 16 (9) a041440, 1-31. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041440

The Ecology of Hybrid Incompatibilities

2023

Journal Article

Hypergraphs and centrality measures identifying key features in gene expression data

Barton, Samuel, Broad, Zoe, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Donovan, Diane and Lefevre, James (2023). Hypergraphs and centrality measures identifying key features in gene expression data. Mathematical Biosciences, 366 109089, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109089

Hypergraphs and centrality measures identifying key features in gene expression data

2023

Other Outputs

Data associated with publication: O'Brien et al. "The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network"

O'Brien, Nicholas, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Engelstaedter, Jan and Holland, Barbara (2023). Data associated with publication: O'Brien et al. "The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/f3850b0

Data associated with publication: O'Brien et al. "The distribution of fitness effects during adaptive walks using a simple genetic network"

2023

Journal Article

Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution

James, Maddie E., Allsopp, Robin N., Groh, Jeffrey S., Kaur, Avneet, Wilkinson, Melanie J. and Ortiz‐Barrientos, Daniel (2023). Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution. Molecular Ecology, 32 (20), 5575-5589. doi: 10.1111/mec.17134

Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution

2023

Journal Article

Crop adaptation to climate change: an evolutionary perspective

Gao, Lexuan, Kantar, Michael B., Moxley, Dylan, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel and Rieseberg, Loren H. (2023). Crop adaptation to climate change: an evolutionary perspective. Molecular Plant, 16 (10), 1518-1546. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.07.011

Crop adaptation to climate change: an evolutionary perspective

2023

Conference Publication

SNP and haplotype-based genomic prediction of fruit quality traits in sweet cherry (Prunus avium)

Munyengwa, N., Peace, C., Dillon, N.L., Ortiz-Barrientos, D., Christie, N., Myburg, A.A. and Hardner, C. (2023). SNP and haplotype-based genomic prediction of fruit quality traits in sweet cherry (Prunus avium). XXXI International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022): International Symposium on Breeding and Effective Use of Biotechnology and Molecular Tools in Horticultural Crops, Angers, France, 14-20 August 2022. Leuven, Belgium: International Society for Horticultural Science. doi: 10.17660/actahortic.2023.1362.23

SNP and haplotype-based genomic prediction of fruit quality traits in sweet cherry (Prunus avium)

2023

Journal Article

Replicated evolution in plants

James, Maddie E., Brodribb, Tim, Wright, Ian J., Rieseberg, Loren H. and Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel (2023). Replicated evolution in plants. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 74 (1), 697-725. doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-071221-090809

Replicated evolution in plants

2023

Journal Article

Editorial 2023

Rieseberg, Loren, Warschefsky, Emily, Ortiz‐Barrientos, Daniel, Kane, Nolan C., Thresher, Kiimberley and Sibbett, Benjamin (2023). Editorial 2023. Molecular Ecology, 32 (1), 1-25. doi: 10.1111/mec.16815

Editorial 2023

2023

Other Outputs

Data associated with publication: James et al. "Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution"

Allsopp, Robin, James, Maddie, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Wilkinson, Melanie, Groh, Jeffrey and Kaur, Avneet (2023). Data associated with publication: James et al. "Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/40dec7a

Data associated with publication: James et al. "Uncovering the genetic architecture of parallel evolution"

2022

Journal Article

The influence of genetic structure on phenotypic diversity in the Australian mango (Mangifera indica) gene pool

Wilkinson, Melanie J., Yamashita, Risa, James, Maddie E., Bally, Ian S. E., Dillon, Natalie L., Ali, Asjad, Hardner, Craig M. and Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel (2022). The influence of genetic structure on phenotypic diversity in the Australian mango (Mangifera indica) gene pool. Scientific Reports, 12 (1) 20614, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-24800-7

The influence of genetic structure on phenotypic diversity in the Australian mango (Mangifera indica) gene pool

2022

Journal Article

Comparisons of chemosensory gene repertoires in human and non-human feeding Anopheles mosquitoes link olfactory genes to anthropophily

Ambrose, Luke, Popovic, Iva, Hereward, James, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel and Beebe, Nigel W. (2022). Comparisons of chemosensory gene repertoires in human and non-human feeding Anopheles mosquitoes link olfactory genes to anthropophily. iScience, 25 (7) 104521, 104521. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104521

Comparisons of chemosensory gene repertoires in human and non-human feeding Anopheles mosquitoes link olfactory genes to anthropophily

2022

Journal Article

Editorial 2022

Narum, Shawn, News, Joanna Kelley, Fountain-Jones, Nick, Hooper Junior, Rebecca, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, O’Boyle, Bridget and Sibbett, Ben (2022). Editorial 2022. Molecular Ecology Resources, 22 (1), 1-8. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13572

Editorial 2022

2022

Journal Article

Editorial 2022

Rieseberg, Loren, Warschefsky, Emily, O’Boyle, Bridget, Taberlet, Pierre, Ortiz‐Barrientos, Daniel, Kane, Nolan C. and Sibbett, Benjamin (2022). Editorial 2022. Molecular Ecology, 31 (1), 1-30. doi: 10.1111/mec.16328

Editorial 2022

2021

Journal Article

Gene flow between island populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles hinesorum, may have contributed to the spread of divergent host preference phenotypes

Ambrose, Luke, Ortiz‐Barrientos, Daniel, Cooper, Robert D., Lobo, Neil F., Burkot, Thomas R., Russell, Tanya L. and Beebe, Nigel W. (2021). Gene flow between island populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles hinesorum, may have contributed to the spread of divergent host preference phenotypes. Evolutionary Applications, 14 (9) eva.13288, 1-14. doi: 10.1111/eva.13288

Gene flow between island populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles hinesorum, may have contributed to the spread of divergent host preference phenotypes

2021

Journal Article

Editorial 2021

Rieseberg, Loren, Warschefsky, Emily, O’Boyle, Bridget, Taberlet, Pierre, Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel, Kane, Nolan C. and Sibbett, Benjamin (2021). Editorial 2021. Molecular Ecology, 30 (1), 1-25. doi: 10.1111/mec.15759

Editorial 2021

2021

Other Outputs

Data associated with forthcoming publication - Wilkinson et al. 2021 - "Adaptive divergence in shoot gravitropism creates hybrid sterility in an Australian wildflower"

Wilkinson, Melanie J., Roda, Federico, Walter, Greg M., James, Maddie E., Nipper, Rick, Walsh, Jessica, Allen, Scott L., North, Henry L., Beveridge, Christine A. and Ortiz-Barrientos, Daniel (2021). Data associated with forthcoming publication - Wilkinson et al. 2021 - "Adaptive divergence in shoot gravitropism creates hybrid sterility in an Australian wildflower". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/2c603c6

Data associated with forthcoming publication - Wilkinson et al. 2021 - "Adaptive divergence in shoot gravitropism creates hybrid sterility in an Australian wildflower"

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2029
    ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding for Agricultural Futures
    ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2027
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture
    ARC Centres of Excellence
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2025
    The genetic link between local adaptation and speciation
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Recombination and the genomic landscape of speciation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2023
    National Tree Genomics Program - Phenotype Prediction
    Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Advanced imaging with wide spectrum molecular, quantitative and morphological applications in biological research
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Beyond genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes: high throughput analysis of gene and protein expression and function
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    The evolution of recombination cold spots during speciation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    How does naturally occurring manganese affect the physiology, genetics and health of organisms on Groote Eylandt
    Anindilyakwa Land Council
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    How does naturally occurring manganese affect the physiology, genetics and health of organisms on Groote Eylandt?
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2012
    High Throughput Genotyping using Paralleled and Miniaturized DNA amplification.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    The genetics of replicated evolution
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    Building Capacity in Quantitative Genomics
    UQ School/Centre Co-Funding
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Does divergent natural selection drive the early stages of speciation?
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Speciation and the breakdown of co-evolution during hybridisation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    The genetics of speciation in Kangaroo Paws
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Patterns of speciation in Australian daisies
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Controlled Environment Facilities for the Challenges of the 21st Century
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Theoretical principles of network evolution

    This doctoral position explores the fundamental mathematical principles governing how biological networks evolve over time. Networks—whether gene regulatory circuits, protein interaction webs, or metabolic pathways—form the architectural backbone of life's complexity. Understanding their evolutionary dynamics requires synthesizing graph theory, population genetics, and dynamical systems theory. The position addresses several pivotal questions: How do network topologies constrain evolutionary trajectories? What mathematical principles govern the emergence of network motifs and hierarchical organisation? How do selection pressures shape network robustness versus evolvability trade-offs? These questions demand both theoretical innovation and empirical validation.

    Candidates will work within established frameworks, including graph-theoretic approaches to network structure and dynamics, building from spectral graph theory and random graph models; population genetic models extended to network-encoded traits, incorporating concepts from quantitative genetics and adaptive landscapes; and dynamical systems theory to understand network stability, bifurcations, and evolutionary attractors.

    Ideal candidates possess strong mathematical foundations in linear algebra, graph theory, and differential equations, or are willing to develop expertise in those topics. Experience with population genetic theory, computational modeling, or network analysis would strengthen your applications significantly. Programming proficiency in Python or R is essential for theoretical validation and simulation work. You can find fellowship opportunities here: https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarship/graduate-school-scholarships-uqgss-%E2%80%93-includes-rtp. Please make sure you check deadlines for domestic and international students. Other specific fellowships can be found here: https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarships?status[31]=31&type[160]=160&level[101]=101&focus[8]=8.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos directly for media enquiries about:

  • Adaptation
  • Ecology
  • Genetics
  • Genomics
  • Origin of new species
  • Plant genetics

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