Wenjie Zhu Recognized for Methodological Innovation in Species Tree Inference

We are thrilled to announce that Wenjie Zhu has received The John C. Marsden Medal for her recent publication in the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society.

The Research

Inferring species relationships is notoriously difficult because different genes often show conflicting evolutionary histories. In their winning paper, “Two-step species tree inference under the multispecies coalescent using full-likelihood,” Wenjie and Sebastian introduce a practical two-step approach: first estimating gene trees, then inferring the species tree. Tested on both simulations and empirical datasets, this framework successfully balances computational efficiency with the statistical rigor of the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model, offering a scalable solution for large genomic datasets.

What the Editor Said

Professor Julia Day, Editor-in-Chief of the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, highlighted the paper’s impact:

“This paper stands out for addressing the trade-off between statistical rigour and computational feasibility in species tree inference. Its two-step, full-likelihood framework under the multispecies coalescent, delivers both methodological innovation and clear guidance on when different approaches succeed or fail.”

In Wenjie’s Words

Reflecting on the recognition, Wenjie noted:

“I am honoured and humbled to receive this award. It recognises work on the multispecies coalescent, where I learned that uncertainty in biology is often not noise to be eliminated, but signal to be understood. Beyond acknowledging past work, this award also motivates my ongoing research.”

Congratulations, Wenjie!

Read the winning paper here.