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Vanderbilt Researcher Identifies Modes of Natural Selection in Understudied Human Populations
Feb. 16, 2023—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator (Spanish/español) Amanda Lea, assistant professor of biology, along with a global team of experts, have discovered new pathways of natural selection in humans. The group, led by Tsimane Health and Life History Project co-Director Michael Gurven of the University of California, Santa Barbara, studied two populations of Bolivians...
Richard Lenski, founder of the long-term evolution experiment, to deliver 2023 Darwin Day Lecture
Jan. 17, 2023—Richard Lenski, a world-renowned evolutionary biologist whose long-term evolution experiment of the microorganism Escherichia coli has been running for over three decades, will deliver the 2023 Darwin Day Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Lenski’s talk, part of Vanderbilt’s Evolutionary Studies Initiative International Darwin Day celebrations, will begin at 3:10pm CT in Buttrick 101, preceded by...
Vanderbilt Graduate Student Parses Out Differences in Virulence across the Aspergillus Genus
Dec. 5, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Annie Hatmaker, along with an excellent team of researchers including her advisor, Antonis Rokas, recently published a study identifying differences in virulence among Aspergillus species. Aspergillus is a common human-pathogenic genus of fungi that includes A. flavus which can cause aspergillosis and fungal keratitis infections, a nasty eye...
Fighting Misconceptions through Intentionally Designed Figures
Oct. 31, 2022—By: Andy Flick Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Associate professor of psychology and human development, Laura Novick, and graduate student Joanna (Jingyi) Liu, published a paper highlighting the importance of intentionally and thoughtfully designed figures to explain evolutionary relationships and overcome preconceived misconceptions. The work was inspired, in part, by a common misconception that was...
Vanderbilt researchers bring paleoecology into the 21st century
Jul. 7, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Science is an inherently collaborative endeavor. When a respected colleague courteously disagrees with your point of view, it can lead to great new papers, perspectives and collaborations. In that same vein, feedback from editors and reviewers of academic journals is an often-understated driver of new research directions. Assistant...
“The Hunger Games: E. coli edition” demonstrates how mutualism and cooperative behavior shape species
May. 20, 2022—Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Bacteria, not unlike humans, can take up more resources than necessary. When this happens, synthesized byproducts can leak into the environment. This allows the nearby bacteria to evolve cooperative behaviors, such as using the byproducts as nutrients. Cooperation in bacterial communities has also been previously observed with behaviors...
Megan Behringer Faculty Profile
May. 2, 2022—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Megan Behringer joined Vanderbilt in 2020 and is currently an assistant professor of Biological Sciences with a secondary appointment to Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology. She serves as the associate director of the Vanderbilt Microbiome Innovation Center and is a member of the Evolutionary Studies Initiative, currently serving...
Nashville Earth Day Celebration at Centennial Park
May. 2, 2022—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator The DeSantis DREAM Lab represented the Evolutionary Studies Initiative this past Saturday at the Nashville Earth Day celebration at Centennial Park. The booth was a smashing success by all accounts. Associate professor of Biological Sciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences, Larisa DeSantis and her lab, discussed the...
Medical researchers develop new methodology for molecular mechanisms of disease
Mar. 29, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Evolutionary Studies Initiative researcher Eric Gamazon and his former postdoctoral researcher, Dan Zhou (now faculty at Zhejiang University), recently published new software and methodology for understanding the molecular basis of disease. They then applied their work to understanding the genetic basis for COVID-19 severity. The study is...
ESI Group Visits Coon Creek Science Center
Mar. 28, 2022—On Saturday, 3/26/22, a handful of members of the Evolutionary Studies Initiative took a field trip to Coon Creek Science Center (CCSC) to dig for fossils. It was a beautiful day where many trainees that have never studied paleontology got to get out and do some field work. Michael Gibson, a faculty at the University...