CURRICULUMVITAE Prof. Karine Van Doninck University of Namur

C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E
Prof. Karine Van Doninck
University of Namur (UNamur)
Department of Biology (URBE)
Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology (LEGE)
61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur (Belgium)
Tel: +32 81/72.44.07 ; Fax: +32 81/72.43.62
Email: karine.vandoninck@unamur.be
URL : http://perso.fundp.ac.be/~kvandoni/
Date of Birth: 14 th of April 1976, Ixelles (Belgium)
Family status: Legal cohabitation, Children: 1
I. SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION
June 1998 Bachelor in Biological Sciences (Licence) with great distinction.
(GD). Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.
February 2003 Doctor in Biological Sciences with greatest distinction.
(28.02.2003). Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) – Institut royal des
Sciences naturelles de Belgique (IRSNB)
Doctoral thesis: “Evolutionary ecology and genetics of the asexual
darwinulid ostracods”.
II. RESEARCH CAREER & CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Sept.’97 – June’98 Master thesis in the laboratories of Dr. V. Rossi (University of
Parma, Italy) and Dr. Koen Martens (RBINSc – Freshwater
Biology).
Jan.’99 – Feb.’03 PhD student in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. M. Kirsch-Volders
(V.U.B. - CEGE) and Dr. Koen Martens (RBINSc – Freshwater
Biology). Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) - Institut royal des
Sciences naturelles de Belgique (IRSNB)
Oct.’03 – Nov.’06 Postdoctoral fellow in the department of Molecular and Cellular
Biology (MCB), laboratory of Prof. M.S. Meselson - Harvard
University (Cambridge, MA, USA).
Dec.’06 – Sept.’07 Postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Yannis Michalakis at
the IRD - GEMI (Génétique et Evolution des maladies
infectieuses), Montpellier (France).
Since Sept.’07 Current employment:
Full Professor at the University of Namur (Belgium). Head of
the Laboratory in Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology (LEGE lab).
Research projects as Full Professor:
1. Project on the population genetics and the desiccation abilities of the ancient asexual
bdelloid rotifers.
2. Project on the evolutionary genomics of the asexual bdelloid rotifres: ‘sequencing the
genome de novo of the bdelloid species Adineta vaga’.
3. Project studying the invasive Asian clam Corbicula and its unique androgenetic
reproductive mode.
4. Phylogeography, population genetics and reproduction of the invasive molluscs,
Dreissena bugensis and Dreissena polymorpha
III. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
1. Personal research grants & awards (’98 – ’07):
01.10.98 – 31.12.98 OZR grant (Onderzoeksraad VUB, Belgique)

01.01.99 – 01.01.03 IWT PhD fellowship (Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by
Science and Technology in Flanders, Belgium)
March 2000 ESF grant (‘ESF Programme ‘Theoretical Biology of Adaptation’)
to co-organise “The 6 th Meeting of PhD Students in Evolutionary
Biology”, Leuven, Belgium.
March 2001 Oral presentation award (1 st prize) at the “7 th Meeting of PhD
Students in Evolutionary Biology”, Bernried, Germany.
01.10.03 – 01.10.04 Hoover Foundation Brussels fellow - BAEF (Belgian American
Educational Foundation) + Honorary research scholar
Fulbright: for postdoctoral research at Harvard University, US.
01.12.06 – 01.12.08 Intra-european Marie-Curie fellowship (EIF) for postdoctoral
research at l’IRD-GEMI (Montpellier - France).
2. Financed research projects as Principal Investigator (PI), Partner (P) or
Supervisor (S) (since ’07):
2007 Bourse impulsion (Starting Grant for young lecturers) – UNamur
(Belgium). PI
01.10.07 – 01.10.11 FRIA PhD grant 5.1.031.08.F for Xiang Li (Fonds de la
Recherche Scientifique - FNRS). Project : « Population genetics of
marine mammals and bdelloid rotifers ». S: Pr. K. Van Doninck &
Pr. M. Milinkovitch.
2009-2012 Research project FRFC 2.4.655.09 (Fonds de la Recherche
Scientifique - FNRS). « The evolutionary genetics and ecology of
the invasive Asian clam (Corbicula spp.) in Europe and of the ancient
asexual bdelloid rotifers ». PI
Since 2009 GENOSCOPE Genome sequencing project. Project: « The
genome sequence of an Ancient Asexual degenerate teraploid : the
bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga ». PI: Pr. K. Van Doninck & Dr. P.
Pontarotti (Université de Provence, Marseille).
01.02.10 – 01.01.12 FNRS Postdoctoral grant for J.-F. Flot on the FRFC 2.4.655.09
project. S
Since 2011 Member of the FWO DNA barcoding network
01.10.10 – 01.10.14 FNRS PhD grant 165401 for Jonathan Marescaux (Aspirant
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS). Project :
« Phylogeography, population genetics and reproduction of an
invasive species, the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) ». S
01.10.11 – 01.10.15 FNRS PhD grant 4805838 for Emilie Etoundi (Aspirant, Fonds
de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS). Project : « Androgenesis:
mechanisms and consequences in the invasive basket clams
(Corbicula spp.) ». S
01.10.12 – 01.10.15 FNRS Postdoctoral grant 10931841 for Lise-Marie Pigneur
(Chargé de recherche, Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS).
Project : « Genetic structure and invasive potential of introduced
mammals in Western Europe ». S with Dr. Johan Michaux
01.10.12 – 01.10.16 FRIA PhD grant 14903849 for Nicolas Debortoli (Fonds de la
Recherche Scientifique - FNRS). Project : « Diversification and
molecular adaptation in the absence of sex: the case of bdelloid
rotifers ». S
2013-2015 Research project PDR 14596412 (Fonds de la Recherche
Scientifique - FNRS). Project CARMA « Corbicula as a Relevant
Model for Androgenesis ». PI

3. Scientific manifestations and courses, presentations
March 1999 5 th Meeting of PhD Students in Evolutionary Biology, Umeå
(Sweden). Oral presentation.
June 1999 3 rd Eurobio Congress, Budapest (Hungary). Invited speaker.
November 1999 6 th Benelux Congress of Zoology, Utrecht (Netherlands).
Oral presentation.
June 2000 Workshop in Population Biology, Guarda (Switserland).
September 2000 PhD summer school + symposium in ‘Evolutionary ecology of sex’,
Groningen (Netherlands). Poster presentation.
March 2001 Meeting “Sex” organised by the Genetics Society, Warwick (UK).
Poster presentation.
March 2001 7 th Meeting of PhD Students in Evolutionary Biology, Bernried
(Germany). Oral presentation + 1 st prize award.
June 2001 Centre for Molecular Genetics, University of Wales. Scientific visit
to learn the technique ‘Polymerase Inhibition Assay’.
August 2001 14 th International Symposium on Ostracoda, Shizuoka (Japan).
Oral presentation.
August 2001 8 th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology,
July 2002
Aärhus (Denmark). Poster presentation.
Harvard University (Cambridge, US). Scientific visit to learn the
technique ‘Fluorescent Karyotyping’.
August 2002 8 th Meeting of PhD Students in Evolutionary Biology”, Lohja
(Finland). Oral presentation.
August 2005 10 th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
(ESEB), Krakow (Poland). Oral presentation.
September 2005
January 2006
September 2006
April 2007
April 2007
January 2008
May 2008
June 2008
February 2009
August 2009
September 2010
ESF-PARTNER-4-Linnean Society Workshop 'The Paradox of
Asexuality: An Evaluation', London (England).
Oral presentation.
Invited speaker at the Gulbenkian Institute (Lisboa, Portugal).
GEE Summer school, Bertinoro, Italy.
ESF-FWF Conference ‘The Impact of the Environment on Innate
Immunity’, Obergurgl (Austria). Poster presentation.
Invited speaker at the TAMARA lab at INSERM, Paris (France).
Interdisciplinary workshop for PhD students (FUNDP): ‘Which
life? On an impoverished planet’. Invited speaker.
Course on Molecular Evolution, Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics.
Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Valencia (Spain).
Invited speaker at the Université de Provence, Evolution
Biologique et Modélisation, Marseille (France)
Invited speaker at the Institute of Life Sciences, UCL (Belgium).
Rotifera XII Congress, Berlin (Germany). Oral presentation.
14 th Evolutionary Biology Meeting at Marseilles (France).
Oral presentation.
November 2010 17 th Benelux Congress of Zoology, Gent (Belgium). 3 poster
presentations by my PhD and Master students, 2 oral presentations
by my PhD students J. Marescaux and L.M. Pigneur.
February 2011 6 th International Symposium on "Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics"
KULeuven (Belgium). Poster presentation
July 2011 Invited speaker at INRA, Sofia-Antipolis (France) by Dr. E.
Danchin from the research group “Intéraction plantes nématodes”.

August 2011 13 th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
(ESEB), Tuebingen (Germany). Oral presentation.
May 2012 Invited speaker at SARS Institute (Norway) by the research group
of Andreas Hejnol (Comparative Developmental Biology of
Animals)
4. Organisation of scientific meetings
August, 1999 Member of the organising comity of SymBioSE (Symposium of
Biology Students in Europe), Amsterdam (Netherlands).
March, 2000 Co-organiser of the “6 th Meeting of PhD Students in Evolutionary
Biology”, Leuven (Belgium).
August, 2009 Co-organiser with Dr. D. Fontaneto of the symposium 12 “The
genetic consequences of reproductive modes: insights from asexual
species” at the 12 th Congress of the European Society for
Evolutionary Biology (ESEB), Turin (Italy).
5. Member of scientific jury and reviewer
2007 Member of PhD thesis jury of N. Dauchot (URBV – FUNDP,
promotor Prof. P. Van Cutsem)
Member of PhD thesis jury of Y. El Bahloul (URBV – FUNDP,
promotor Prof. P. Van Cutsem)
2009 Member of PhD thesis jury of J. Lemaire (URBM – FUNDP,
promotor Prof. J.J. Letesson)
Member of PhD thesis jury of S. Nadzialek (URBO – FUNDP,
promotor Prof. P. Kestemont)
2010 Member of PhD thesis jury of A.-L. Tarbe (URBO – FUNDP,
promotor Prof. J.P. Descy)
2010 Member PhD thesis jury of R. Helaers (FUNDP), promotor Prof. E.
Depiereux, co-promotor Prof. M. Milinkovitch.
Member of PhD thesis jury of A. Chocham (FUNDP), promotor:
Prof. F. Volckaert, co-promotor: Prof. J.C. Micha
2010-2011 Member of the FRIA jury 09/2010, 10/2011, 10/2012 “Biochimie-
Zoologie”
Reviewer for manuscripts submitted to: Molecular Ecology, Zoology, Hydrobiologia,
Heredity, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Journal of Insect Science, Aquatic
Invasion, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Journal of Experimental Zoology,
Member of the editorial board of the Journal of Experimental Zoology
6. Member of scientific societies
Genetics Society (2001)
ESEB (European Society for Evolutionary Biology), 2005 - 2012
DNA barcoding FWO network (Belgium), starting date 2011
IV. TEACHING DUTIES AT UNIVERSITY
2. Theoretical courses (FUNDP), teaching in French:
Since 2007/2008 Biologie animale (SBIO B106, invertébrés, Bac1 BIO, 40h)
Biologie animale (SBIO B201, vertébrés, Bac2 BIO, 28h)
Stage de biologie marine (SBIO B208, Bac2 BIO, 40h)
Notions de biologie fonctionnelle (SBIO B207, Bac2 GEO, 17h)
Travaux personnels interdisciplinaire (SBIO B311, Bac3 BIO, 15h)
Evolution (SBIO M102, Master BBMC, 5h)
Evolution (SBOE M111, Master BOE, 20h)

Ecologie Moléculaire (SBOE M124, Master BOE, 18h), in English
Génomique (SBOE M165, Master BOE, 12h)
3. Supervising Master and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers (UNamur):
Since Jan. 2008 Supervised 11 Master theses (Master BOE and BBMC, UNamur-
UCL)
Since Sept. 2007 Supervised 6 PhD theses, 4 ongoing (2013)
Febr. ’10 – July ‘12 Supervising postdoc J.-F. Flot (research project FRFC-Genoscope)
Since Sept. 2012 Supervising postdoc L.-M. Pigneur (FNRS chargé de recherché)
V. UNIVERSITY DUTIES
Since 2007 Member of the Faculty of Sciences (UNamur)
Since 2008 Academic secretary of the department of biology (UNamur)
Since 2008 Member of the scientific comity (collegian board) of NARILIS
(FUNDP), the new Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences
Since 2010 Member of NAXYS (Centre Namurois des Systèmes Complexes) +
CÉCI (Consortium des Équipements de Calcul Intensif), UNamur
Since 2011 Member of "NaGRIDD" (Namur Groupe de Recherches
Interdisciplinaires en Développement Durable), UNamur
VI. PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
1. International publications
A) Published manuscripts
• Gandolfi, A., Todeschi, E.B.A., Van Doninck, K., Rossi, V. and Menozzi, P., 2001.
Salinity tolerance of Darwinula stevensoni (Ostracoda). Italian Journal of Zoology 68: 61-67
(I.F.: 0,357).
• Van Doninck K., Schön I., De Bruyn L. and Martens K., 2002. “A general purpose
genotype in an ancient asexual”. Oecologia 132: 205-212 (I.F.: 2,602).
• Schön I., Martens K., Van Doninck K. and Butlin R.K., 2003. “Evolution in the
slow lane – molecular rates of evolution in sexual and asexual ostracods (Crustacea,
Ostracoda)”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 79: 93-100 (I.F.: 1,661).
• Van Doninck K., Schön I., Martens K. and Goddeeris B., 2003. The life-cycle of
the asexual ostracod Darwinula stevensoni (Brady & Robertson, 1870) (Crustacea,
Ostracoda) in a temporate pond. Hydrobiologia 500: 331-340 (I.F.: 0,72).
• Van Doninck, K., Schön, I., Maes, F., De Bruyn, L. and Martens, K., 2003.
Ecological strategies in the ancient asexual animal group Darwinulidae (Crustacea,
Ostracoda). Freshwater Biology 48: 1285-1294 (I.F.: 1,936).
• Van Doninck K., Schön I. and Martens K., 2004. Review - A Perspective on the
Importance of Reproductive Mode in Astrobiology. Astrobiology 3 (4): 657-671 (I.F.:
2,366).
• Van Doninck K., Schön I., Martens K. and Backeljau T., 2004. Clonal diversity in
the ancient asexual ostracod Darwinula stevensoni assessed by RAPD-PCR. Heredity 93:
154-160 (I.F.: 2,016).
• Hur J.H., Van Doninck K., Mandigo M.L. and Meselson M., 2009. Degenerate
tetraploidy was established before bdelloid rotifer families diverged. Molecular Biology
and Evolution, 26: 375-383 (I.F.: 6,438).
• Van Doninck K., Mandigo M.L., Hur J.H., Wang, P., Guglielmini J., Milinkovitch
M., Lane W.S. and Meselson M., 2009. Phylogenomics of unusual histone H2A
Variants in Bdelloid Rotifers. PLoS Genetics 5: e1000401 (I.F.: 8,7).

• Marescaux J., Pigneur L.-M. and Van Doninck K., 2010. New records of Corbicula
clams in French rivers. Aquatic Invasions, 5: S35-S39.
• Li X., Liu Y., Tzika A.C., Van Doninck K., Zhu Q. & Milinkovitch M.C., 2010.
Preliminary Genetic Status of the Spotted Seal Phoca largha in Liaodong Bay (China)
Based on Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses. Trends in Evolutionary
Biology, 2: e6 (new journal).
• Pigneur L.-M., Risterucci A.-M., Dauchot N., Li X. & Van Doninck K., 2011.
Development of novel microsatellite markers to identify the different invasive
lineages in the Corbicula complex and to assess androgenesis. Molecular Ecology
Resources, 11: 573-577 (I.F.: 1,251).
• Pigneur L.-M., Marescaux J., Roland K., Etoundi E., Descy J.-P. & Van Doninck
K., 2011. Phylogeny and androgenesis in the invasive Corbicula clams (Bivalvia,
Corbiculidae) in Western Europe. BMC Evolutionary Biology, online - 11: 147 (I.F.:
4,21).
• Li X., Liu Y., Tzika A.C., Van Doninck K., Zhu Q. & Milinkovitch M.C., 2011.
Genetic Status of the Finless Porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides in the Bohai and
Northern Yellow Seas Based on Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses.
Marine Biology, online May 3 rd (I.F.: 1,999).
• Douxfils J, Mathieu C, Mandiki SN, Milla S, Henrotte E, Wang N, Vandecan M,
Dieu M, Dauchot N, Pigneur LM, Li X, Rougeot C, Mélard C, Silvestre F, Van
Doninck K, Raes M, Kestemont P. Physiological and proteomic evidences that
domestication process differentially modulates the immune status of juvenile
Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) under chronic confinement stress. Fish Shellfish
Immunol. 31(6): 1113-1121.
• Danchin E.G.J., Flot J.-F., Perfus-Barbeoch L. & Van Doninck K., 2011. Genomic
perspectives on the long-term absence of sexual reproduction in animals. In :
Evolutionary Biology – Concepts, Biodiversity, Macroevolution and Genome Evolution, P.
Pontarotti (ed.), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, p. 223 - 242.
• Koszul R, Meselson M, Van Doninck K, Vandenhaute J, Zickler D, 2012. The
centenary of Janssens’s chiasmatype theory. Genetics (perspectives) 191: 309 – 317 (I.F.:
4.283).
• Marescaux J, Bij de Vaate A, Van Doninck K, 2012. First records of Dreissena
rostriformis bugensis (Andrusov 1897) in the Meuse River. BioInvasions Records 1 (2): 109-
114.
• Pigneur L-M, Etoundi E, Hedtke S, Van Doninck K, 2012. Androgenesis: a review
through the study of Corbicula spp. Heredity 108 : 581-591 (I.F.: 4,122).
• Gaublomme E., Maebe K., Van Doninck K., Dhuyvetter H., Li X., Desender K. &
Hendrickx F., 2012 . Loss of genetic diversity and increased genetic structuring in
response to forest area reduction in a ground dwelling insect: a case study of the
flightless carabid beetle Carabus problematicus (Coleopera, Carabidae). Insect Conservation
and Diversity (I.F.: 1,705).
• Marescaux J, Molloy DP, Giamberini L, Albrecht C, Van Doninck K, 2012. First
records of the quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (Andrusov 1897), in the
Meuse River within France. BioInvasions Records 1 (4): 273-276.
• Pigneur L-M, Falisse E, Roland K, Everbecq E, Deliège J-F, Smitz J, Van Doninck
K, Descy J-P, 2013. Impact of the invasive Asian clam, Corbicula spp., on a large river
ecosystem. Freshwater Biology, in press (I.F.: 3,933).

• Flot J-F, Hespeels B, Li X, Noel B (34 authors) Jaillon O, Van Doninck K, 2013.
Genomic evidence for ameiotic evolution in the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga.
Nature, in press (I.F.: 38,2)
B) Submitted manuscripts or in preparation
• Li X, Hespeels B, Flot J-F, Knapen M, Malaisse J, Van Doninck K, in prep.
Bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga acquired trehalose biosynthesis and hydrolysis genes by
horizontal gene transfers.
• Hespeels B, Knapen M, Laurent C, Hanot-Mambres D, Heuskin A-C, Koszul R,
Van Doninck K, in prep. Gateway to genetic exchange? DNA double strand breaks
in the ancient asexual bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga submitted to desiccation. Journal of
Evolutionary Biology (special edition on reproductive systems).
2. Abstracts of scientific meetings (last five years)
- 15th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Nijmegen (Netherlands),
23-27 September 2007. Oral presentation by PhD student L.-M. Pigneur: « Phylogeny
and population genetics of invasive Asiatic clams (Corbicula spp.) in the Meuse ».
Pigneur L.-M., Descy, J.-P. & Van Doninck, K.
- Rotifera XII Congress, Berlin (Germany), 16-21 August 2009. Oral presentation:
« Phylogenomics of unusual histone H2A variants and degenerate tetraploidy in
bdelloid rotifers ». Van Doninck K., Hur J.H., Mandigo M.L. and Meselson M.
- 14 th Evolutionary Biology Meeting at Marseilles (France), 21-24 September 2010. Oral
presentation: « Genome project of the bdelloid rotifer species Adineta vaga ». Van
Doninck K.
- 13th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology, Tuebingen
(Germany), 20-25 August 2011. Oral presentation: « The success story of the
androgenetic invasive clams Corbicula spp. » Van Doninck K. & Pigneur L.-M.
- Rotifera XIII Congress, Shillong (India), 18-24 November 2012. Oral presentation :
« The notorious ancient asexual bdelloid rotifers ». Van Doninck K.
- Rotifera XIII Congress, Shillong (India), 18-24 November 2012. Oral presentation by
PhD student B. Hespeels: « Is the genome integrity of bdelloid rotifers preserved
following desiccation ? ». Hespeels B. & Van Doninck K.
- 18 th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Ontario (Canada), 21-25
April 2013. Oral presentation: « The invasive bivalve genus Corbicula as a key model to
androgenesis ». Van Doninck K.
- Conférences Jacques Monod ‘Recent advances on the evolution of sex and genetic
systems’, Roscoff (France), 22-26 May 2013. Oral presentation: « The genome of the
bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga yields insights into an ameiotic evolution ». Van Doninck
K.