Research
2024- Present CERC Postdoctoral fellow, University of British Columbia, Canada.
Host: Prof. Kayla C. King
2021-2024 SNF Postdoctoral fellow, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Host: Prof. Jacob C. Koella
Education
2018-2021 Dr. rer. nat, Freie University Berlin, Germany.
Thesis title: Pathogen infection dynamics and the evolution of
host resistance and tolerance.
Supervisor: Dr. Sophie A. O. Armitage
2015-2017 MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology, University of Lisbon, Portugal/University of Münster, Germany.
Thesis title: The role of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 for the bacterial microbiota of Tribolium castaneum.
Supervisor: Prof. Joachim Kurtz
2013-2015 BSc in Biology, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Thesis title: The influence of acoustic sounds in the reproductive behaviour of the sand goby.
Supervisor: Prof. Paulo Fonseca
Teaching
BSc courses
Evolutionary ecology (TA, 2021-2023, Univ. of Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
Statistics for biologists (TA, 2021-2023, Univ. of Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
MSc courses
Methods in Evolution (Lecturer, 2021-2024, Univ. of Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
Supervision
MSc and Postgraduate
2023. Acerbi, G (Postgraduate). Effects of environmental exposure to Pseudomonas spp. on Anopheles gambiae insecticide resistance.
2022. Ammann, M (Postgraduate). Effects of environmental exposure to Pseudomonas spp. on Anopheles gambiae life history traits and immunity.
BSc
2025. Choi, V (BSc). Host heterogeneity makes for transmission heterogeneity (e.g. super-spreading) in Caenorhabditis strains infected by Leucobacter celer.
2019. Hublitz , K (BSc). The effect of previous bacterial exposure upon the response to secondary exposure in Drosophila melanogaster.
2019. Zachau, F (BSc). Fecundity and cold stress tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster in the face of a bacterial infection.
2019. Sommer, S (BSc). The replication success of previously host-exposed bacteria in a naive host.
Conferences, Meetings & Talks
19 Atendances
2026 CSEE, Toronto, Canada. (upcoming)
2022. ESEB, Prague, Czech Republic.
2020. Ecological Immunology Workshop, Berlin, Germany.
2020. Antimicrobial bacterial adaptation: environmental and mechanistic aspects Meeting, Berlin, Germany.
2020. Insects: Infections and Immunity Workshop, Berlin, Germany.
2013. Cryptic genetic variation Workshop, Münster, Germany.
2013. Stem cells of invertebrates Workshop, Münster, Germany.
2012. Forensic Medicine Course with Prof. Pinto da Costa, Porto, Portugal.
7 Oral presentations
2025. Silva, LM. Why are infectious diseases so heterogeneous? UBC Postdoc Research Day, Vancouver, Canada.
2025. Silva, LM & King, KC. Transmission heterogeneity and parasite evolution. Microbiology & Immunology Symposium, Vancouver, Canada.
2024. Silva, LM & Koella, JC. Dissecting transmission to understand parasite evolution. Evolution 2024, Montreal, Canada.
2022. Silva, LM, Zeferino, TG & Koella, JC. Death by resource depletion: Is it due to immune function or sequestration by parasite? Ecological Immunology Workshop, Blossin, Germany
2022. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. To fight or to cope? How evolving host tolerance shapes infection dynamics and pathogen evolution. Biology 22, Basel, Switzerland.
2019. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. Dynamics of insect tolerance to bacteral infections. 3rd Eco-Evo PhD Meeting, Bayreuth, Germany.
2018. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. Evolving defenses: resistance and tolerance. AG Kurtz (WWU), AG Fricke (WWU), AG Armitage group Workshop, Klingemühle, Germany.
4 Poster presentations
2025. Silva, LM & King, KC. Super-spreading vs. super-shedding: from physiology to behaviour. ESEB, Barcelona, Spain.
2021. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. Effects of selection for host tolerance and resistance on a host-pathogen interaction. EEID Montpellier/Virtual.
2019. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. Evolving defenses: resistance and tolerance. Experimental evolution Workshop, Münster, Germany.
2018. Silva, LM & Armitage, SAO. Evolving defenses: resistance and tolerance. 2nd Eco-Evo PhD Meeting, Prague, Czech Republic.
1 Guest talk
2025. Silva, LM. Parasite transmission and evolution: heterogeneity, causes and implications. IEB Seminars, WWU Münster, Germany
1 Organized symposium
2026 Li, J, Travers-Cook, TJ, Silva, LM. Microbial symbiosis: disturbance, adaptation, and the parasitism-mutualism continuum. CSEE, Toronto, Canada (upcoming).
Grants & Awards
Grants
2023. Basler Stiftung für biologische Forschung
Mentions
2025. Evolutionary Applications: editor’s monthly highlights.
2022. Nature Communications: Ecology and Evolution editor’s yearly highlights.
Other scientific activities
Scientific societies and other projects
Education & Outreach Committee Member of SORTEE (Society for Open, Reliable and Transparent Ecology and Evolution)
Member of ESEB (European Society for Evolutionary Biology)
Member of SSE (Society for the Study of Evolution)
Member of SMBE (Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution)
Member of CSEE/SCEE (Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution)
Member of APBE (Portuguese Society for Evolutionary Biology)
Member of TEA (Thermal Ecology Alliance)
18 Peer-reviews for 12 journals
BMC Genomics (4)
Current Biology (1)
Developmental and Comparative Immunology (1)
Evolution (1)
Open Biology (1)
PLoS Pathogens (1)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2)
Virulence (1)
External jury/examiner in 1 thesis
2025. Wang, C (Honor thesis). Determining the biogeographical history of freshwater-adapted alleles in the three-spined sitckleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Supervised by Schluter, D.
LUÍS M. SILVA 