Events
Exit Seminar
November 5, 2026
Investigations into the Mechanisms of Novel Disease Emergence through Adaptations in Critical Pathogen Virulence Genes: Viplav Agarwal (Exit Seminar)
Viplav Agarwal’s research advances our understanding of pathogen evolution by characterizing how microbes diverge to infect different hosts, identifying genes that contribute to virulence evolution and evaluating the contribution of mobile genetic elements and population genetic factors to adaptation.
EEB Seminar
November 6, 2026
Pervasive Selective Sweeps within and across Human Gut Microbiomes: Nandita Garud (UCLA)
Nandita Garud (UCLA) focuses on quantifying the mode and tempo of evolution in natural populations, with an emphasis on the microbiome. She synthesizes population genetics, statistics, and analysis of population genomic data, to develop and apply new computational methods to make population genetic inferences from publicly available data.
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