Anastasia Bezrucico

PhD researcher in Immler lab at the School of Biological Sciences. My thesis, "Within-ejaculate selection: linking sperm phenotype, genotype, and fertilization success across mice, zebrafish, and humans", asks whether the sperm that survive selection within a single ejaculate differ from the rest of the sperm population, and whether this matters for fertilisation. I use computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) to measure how longevity selection changes the motile sperm phenotype, targeted sequencing to test whether the surviving sperm differ genetically, and mouse IVF to test how sperm selection before fertilisation affects fertilisation rates and embryo development. A zebrafish chapter examines whether there is a condition dependant assortative fusion in gametes.

I completed a BSc in Biomedical Sciences at VU Amsterdam and progressed directly into the PhD in 2023. I expect to complete my PhD in December 2026.

Research interests: sperm competition, haploid selection, gamete biology, fertilisation, IVF and assisted reproductive technologies.