Manuel Sapage
Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Macau
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Personal Webpage
Research Interests: Animal Behaviour; Behavioural Ecology; Social Learning; Cultural Evolution; Sexual Selection
Web of Science Researcher ID: JAX-7166-2023
ORCID: 0000-0002-3007-6482
SCOPUS ID: 57193953889
Google Scholar ID: 9hJLKI4AAAAJ
Ciência Vitae: 101F-D092-4845
I hold a degree in Environmental Biology and a master's in Conservation Biology, both from the University of Lisbon. In April 2023 I completed my PhD in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BIODIV) with Distinction and Honors. My doctoral research focused on the evolutionary consequences of mate-choice copying in spatially structured populations, using individual-based models. Mate-choice copying is a mechanism of non-independent mate-choice, where individuals adjust their mate preferences based on the choices of conspecifics. In June 2025 I started as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Science and Environment under the guidance of Prof. David Gonçalves to work with the effect of the gut microbiota on the development of social behaviour in fish. This project is under the Funding Scheme of Macao for Science and Technology R&D Talent from the Macao's Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT).
Active Research Projects
2024-2027 | Funded by: FDCT - Macao Science and Technology Development Fund
Principal Investigator: David Gonçalves | Team Member: Manuel Sapage
2025-2027 | Funded by: FDCT - Macao Science and Technology Development Fund
Post-Doctoral Grant Holder: Manuel Sapage
Selected Publications
- Sapage, M., Santos, M., Matos, M., Schlupp, I., Varela, S.A.M. (2024). Mate-choice copying accelerates species range expansion. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 291:20241201. DOI
- Sapage, M., Varela, S.A.M. & Kokko, H. (2021). Social learning by mate‐choice copying increases dispersal and reduces local adaptation. Functional Ecology, 35(3): 705–716. DOI
- Sapage, M. & Varela, S.A.M. (2020). Two research avenues for future mate-choice copying studies: a comment on Davies et al.. Behavioral Ecology, 31(6), 1291–1292. DOI (Invited commentary)
- Carvalho, C., Varela, S.A.M., Bastos, L.F.B., Órfão, I., Beja, V., Sapage, M., Marques, T.A., Knight, A. & Vicente, L. (2019). The Relevance of In Silico, In Vitro and Non-human Primate Study-based Approaches to Clinical Research on Major Depressive Disorder. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals 47(3–4): 128–139. DOI
- Borda-de-Água, L., Ascensão, F., Sapage, M., Barrientos, R. & Pereira, H.M. (2019). On the identification of mortality hotspots in linear infrastructures. Basic and Applied Ecology, 34: 25–35. DOI
- Santos, M., Sapage, M., Matos, M. and Varela, S. A. M. (2017). Mate-choice copying: A fitness-enhancing behavior that evolves by indirect selection. Evolution, 71(6): 1456–1464. DOI