dr. Zexin Jiao
post-doctoral researcher
SalmoStrong Pillar 1: Integrated Genetics
In my current role, I am part of SalmoStrong Pillar 1: Integrated Genetics, where I work on advancing pangenomic resources and modern population-level genomic tools for Atlantic salmon. My research focuses on:
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developing pangenomic approaches to capture diverse forms of genetic variation, especially structural variants;
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analysing large-scale sequencing datasets using low-coverage WGS imputation, GWAS, molecular QTL mapping and genomic prediction;
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improving our understanding of the genetic basis of robustness and disease resistance traits;
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integrating results into practical selective breeding pipelines for the salmon industry.
Current Role
Biography & Previous Work
I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Ocean University of China, where I first became fascinated by structural variation (SV) and its role in shaping phenotypic diversity in aquaculture species. My early research focused on using whole-genome resequencing data and bioinformatic tools to detect SVs in Pacific oyster and explore their contribution to fast-growth traits. In 2021, I moved to Edinburgh to pursue my PhD and joined Professor Dan Macqueen’s Aquaculture Genomics group, further deepening my expertise in population genomics, large-scale sequencing analysis and SV discovery across multiple farmed fish species.
outside of work
Outside work, I’m an avid traveller, driver, gamer, flight drone pilot, fisher and swimmer — always excited to explore new hobbies and adventures.