{"id":25987,"date":"2025-03-11T13:30:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T12:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.idiv.de\/?post_type=staff-manager&p=25987"},"modified":"2025-03-17T11:06:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T10:06:52","slug":"miriam-simon","status":"publish","type":"staff-manager","link":"https:\/\/www.idiv.de\/de\/staff\/miriam-simon\/","title":{"rendered":"Miriam Simon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \n Miriam \n Simon <\/h2>\n

Post-Doktorandin<\/p>\n

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Affiliationen<\/h4>\n

\n Helmholtz-Zentrum f\u00fcr Umweltforschung \u2013 UFZ
Universit\u00e4t Leipzig
Max-Planck-Institut f\u00fcr evolution\u00e4re Anthropologie <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Adresse<\/h4>\n
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Puschstra\u00dfe 4
04103 Leipzig<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

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Research focus<\/h2>\n

The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in digestion, immune function, and overall health of its host, and it is highly sensitive to environmental changes. In human-modified landscapes such as plantations, shifts in diet, stress levels, and exposure to chemical pollutants can significantly alter microbial communities in wildlife. I\u2019m interested in understanding these changes, as its essential for assessing the long-term health and adaptability of species living in disturbed habitats.<\/p>\n

My PhD project aims to assess potential correlations between the gut microbiome and the overall health of the endangered southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), which forages in the forest\u2013oil palm matrix in Malaysia. These primates are frequently observed leaving their natural forest habitat to forage in adjacent oil palm plantations, where they add oil palm fruits, rats, and other plantation-derived food items to their diet. In doing so, they likely ingest residues of chemical pesticides, which are used to manage plantation undergrowth, rats, and insects, through their food and water intake. The objectives of my study are to investigate the influence of diet and pesticide exposure on the gut microbiome of macaques and to relate these findings to health markers such as endoparasitic loads, cortisol levels, and long-term observational data on body condition and fitness. This research will provide valuable insights into how conventional agricultural practices, particularly pesticide use, affect the health and long-term fitness of mammals that rely on plantations for foraging. By contributing evidence-based data to sustainability discussions on agricultural management, my project aims to support the development of applied conservation strategies for threatened wildlife.<\/p>\n

The work will be in close collaboration with Dr. Nadine Ruppert and Dr. Norsyahida Arifin at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Dr. Priscillia Miard at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo Malaysia.<\/p>\n

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Short CV<\/h2>\n

Since 02\/2025
\nPhD student
\n<\/strong>Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), University of Leipzig (UL) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA), Leipzig, Germany
\nDissertation title: \u201cImpact of oil palm plantation use on the gut microbiome of Malaysian macaques\u201d<\/p>\n

10\/2018 \u2013 12\/2021
\nMSc evolutionary Anthropology
\n<\/strong>Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, Germany
\nThesis title: \u201eThe use of olfaction in Barbary macaques \u201c<\/p>\n

04\/2014 \u2013 07\/2018
\nBSc Biology
\n<\/strong>Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, Germany
\nThesis title: \u201cImmune response of Dysdercus Fasciatus after infection with Leptomonas pyrrhocoris\u201d<\/p>\n

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Publications<\/h2>\n

Simon, M., Widdig, A., & Wei\u00df, B. M. (2024). Sniffing behavior of semi free-ranging Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). American journal of primatology, 86(5), e23611. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ajp.23611<\/p>\n

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Funding & Awards<\/h2>\n

Since 02\/2025: iDiv Flexpool Fund
\n<\/strong>3-year PhD funding from iDiv<\/p>\n

2024: Christian-Vogel-Fund for field research
\n<\/strong>by Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Primatologie<\/p>\n

01\/2023 \u2013 01\/2024:\u00a0 Pre-Doc Award University Leipzig
\n<\/strong>Member of the Behavioral Ecology Research group under Prof. Anja Widdig as a Pre-Doc Awardee (UL) in tandem with Dr. Marlen K\u00fccklich<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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