Akbarjon Rozimov

Akbarjon Rozimov

PhD Candidate · Evolutionary & Conservation Genomics

Evolutionary biologist and ichthyologist working on the genomics and conservation of Central Asian freshwater fishes.

Download CV (PDF)

About

I am an evolutionary biologist and ichthyologist specializing in the genomics and conservation of Central Asian freshwater fishes. My PhD research at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences delivers the first chromosome-level genomic resources and conservation assessment for the critically endangered Amu Darya false shovelnose sturgeons (Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni and P. hermanni), integrating population genomics, demographic inference, and conservation genomics with field-based biodiversity survey. I am a member of the IUCN SSC Sturgeon Specialist Group and a peer reviewer for several journals.

Education

PhD in Evolutionary Genomics

Sep 2023 – present Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences — Beijing, China Thesis: Evolutionary and Conservation Genomics of the Amu Darya False Shovelnose Sturgeons. Supervisors: Prof. Baocheng Guo and Dr. Xinxin Li.

MSc in Ichthyology and Hydrobiology

Sep 2021 – Jun 2023 National University of Uzbekistan (Mirzo Ulugbek) — Tashkent Thesis: The ichthyofauna of the Chirchik River — species diversity, conservation and practical importance.

BSc in Biology

Sep 2017 – Jun 2021 Urgench State University — Khorezm, Uzbekistan Undergraduate research: Diversity and conservation of freshwater fishes in the lower Amu Darya River.

Experience

Curator of the Zoological Collection

Jan 2022 – Aug 2023 Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan — Tashkent Managed inventory, curation, and digitization of the national ichthyological collection; conducted data analysis supporting taxonomic and conservation research.

IUCN SSC Sturgeon Specialist Group — Member

2021 – present International Union for Conservation of Nature Contributing to sturgeon conservation assessment and Red List work in Central Asia.

Fieldwork & research experience

Lost Syr Darya Sturgeon survey

2025 Trammel-net and eDNA surveys across the Syr Darya basin in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; with Tennessee Aquarium and Re:wild.

Sturgeon & cyprinid sampling for de novo genome assembly

2024 Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Schizothorax eurystomus, Gymnodiptychus dybowskii.

Hydro4U fish sampling

2022 – 2023 Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with TIIAME.

Chirchik, Zeravshan, Surkhandarya & lower Amu Darya river surveys

2019 – 2023 Partly self-funded inventories underpinning three publications.

Technical skills

Genomics

  • Mitochondrial & chromosome-level genome assembly
  • Annotation
  • SNP calling & genotyping

Population genomics

  • PCA, ADMIXTURE, phylogenomics
  • f3- and D-statistics
  • Gene flow analysis

Demographic & conservation

  • Ne trajectories, divergence time
  • Inbreeding, genetic load
  • IUCN & regional Red List assessment

Software & tools

  • GATK · PLINK · VCFtools · BCFtools
  • ADMIXTURE · Dsuite · fastsimcoal2 · PSMC
  • TreeMix · SLiM · SMC++ · Stairway Plot 2
  • Bash · R · Python · HPC workflows

Conference presentations

Multidimensional crisis: geographic range contraction, phenotypic degradation, genomic erosion, and cultural exploitation of the critically endangered Amu Darya shovelnose sturgeons

Oct 2025 10th International Symposium on Sturgeon — Yichang, China Oral presentation

Sturgeon survival and conservation challenges in the Amu Darya

Sep 2024 30th Anniversary Meeting, IUCN Sturgeon Specialist Group — Bordeaux, France Invited online presentation

Awards & scholarships

ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents

2023 UCAS — No. 2023ANP0152

Presidential Scholarship

2022 / 2023 National University of Uzbekistan — No. 4/1

From the blog

All posts →