Events
EEB Seminar
November 13, 2026
Ancient and Repeated Origins of Biochemical Innovation in Butterflies: Kathy Darragh (Indiana)
By combining comparative genomics, biochemistry, molecular evolution, and ancestral sequence reconstruction, Kathy Darragh and her team show that terpene biosynthesis evolved independently from two distinct ancestral primary metabolic gene families, yet converged on similar chemistry and followed similar functional trajectories.
EEB Seminar
November 20, 2026
Using Genome Assemblies to Showcase the Evolution of Molluscan Weirdness: Vanessa (Vans) L. González (Smithsonian)
This talk by Vans González (Smithsonian) will feature particularly unusual bivalve molluscs and their remarkable life histories, highlighting what their genomes can reveal about adaptation and innovation.
Research
Successful science combines both “curiosity-driven” and “solution-driven” research. We have chosen to coalesce around four strategic research foci: evolutionary genetics & genomics, quantitative ecology, reproductive systems biology, and a fourth in systematics, centred on EEB faculty at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Ecologists and evolutionists address the central questions of the origin, maintenance and organization of biodiversity. We teach, study and consult on all aspects of earth’s organismal diversity, from genome to ecosystem, encompassing the range of plant, animal and microbial species. In EEB we are charged with understanding this diversity, at a time of global change, habitat loss, and the emergence of novel diseases. Our research informs conservation decisions, the management of natural resources, and the management of infectious disease.
Undergraduate
Students participate in diverse learning environments. Hands-on bench & computer lab practicals, field trips, off-campus field courses, small-class discussion seminars & independent research projects.
Graduate
Graduate students pursuing a MSc or Phd degree will learn and interact with a large group of diverse students and faculty from our three campuses including the Royal Ontario Museum and Government affiliations.
Photo of the day
Algonquin Wildlife Research Station
Photo by Clara Thaysen