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   Evolutionary Biology
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 Seminars

                    Roger E. Carpenter Lecture in Comparative Biology


18th Annual Roger E. Carpenter lecture in Comparative Biology
Dr. Scott Edwards

Harvard University

Genomes, feathers and flight: comparative genomics of birds and other reptiles


Monday 4 pm 4 March 2013
Geology Mathematics and Computer Science (GMCS) Room 301
Reception following lecture in Faculty-Staff Club.

The Roger Carpenter  Lecture for 2013 will be given by Dr. Scott Edwards, of the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University. Dr. Edwards studies the evolutionary biology of birds. He has worked on the evolution of genes involved with disease resistance in wild birds, which play a role in parasite resistance, plumage color variation, and mate choice. He has also studied bird immunogenetics and population genetics. His current major interests include multilocus phylogeography and speciation in birds; genome evolution during the transition from reptiles to birds; host-pathogen interactions (such as the house finch-Mycoplasma epizootic), and the evolutionary consequences of disease outbreaks. In addition, he is actively involved in statistical models for inferring multilocus phylogenies and historical demography. Dr. Edwards has been on the editorial boards of several academic societies, including the Journal of Molecular Evolution , Evolution, American Zoologist (now Integrative and Comparative Biology), Systematic Biology, Molecular Biology, and Evolution and Conservation Genetics. He has served on the Council of the American Genetic Association and was AGA President in 2011. In 2012 he was elected President of the Society for the Study of Evolution, where he works to expand the Society’s mission in research and outreach, through its annual meeting and its journal, Evolution. He has served on several NSF panels and on the National Geographic's Committee for Research & Exploration from 2001-2009.