David Wright

I am fascinated by how organisms utilise their genomic diversity and the implications of aberrant regulatory processes or diversity loss for future evolutionary potential. I use an integrative approach encompassing bioinformatics, experimental data, and fieldwork to explore the mechanisms of genome regulation, change and persistence that influence this potential.

I work with a range of organisms and model systems, from population level to single-cell resolution and utilise several methodologies, with a recent focus on human long-read transcriptomics.

I’m currently a Senior Computational Biologist in the Macaulay Group, where I’m excited to be using emerging technologies and approaches to understand mechanisms of transcription and epigenetic regulation in human development, in close collaboration with the Monk Group (UEA) and Haerty Group (EI).

I received my BSc Zoology with Conservation (Hons) from Bangor University in 2009, working with critically endangered bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci). I then completed my PhD in Molecular Ecology at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2014, during which I investigated evolutionary and conservation genetics of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis).

I subsequently worked on various projects including captive breeding program genetics for the Asian Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis macqueeni) and invasion biology in tree bumblebees (Bombus hypnorum) before moving to the Earlham Institute in 2017.