Alex Smith

Alex Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph, affiliated with the Department of Integrative Biology within the College of Biological Science. His research focuses on biodiversity patterns, biogeography, and interactions among parasitoid insects, hyperparasitoids, and their hosts in tropical and temperate ecosystems. He leads the Smith Lab, which emphasizes field-based studies in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica, and collaborates with global scientists like Dan Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs.

• Teaching: Courses include ZOO*3700 - Integrative Biology of Invertebrates and ZOO*2700 - Invertebrate Morphology and Evolution.
• Labs: Uses phylogenetic, functional, and physiological methods to study elevation-driven biodiversity changes and climate impacts on tropical species.
• Key Projects: Long-term studies on parasitoid wasps (e.g., Dolichogenidea, Mesochorus), ant community dynamics, and symbiotic relationships between insects and microbes like Wolbachia.

His work bridges ecology, taxonomy, and conservation, emphasizing data-driven approaches to resolve cryptic species diversity and ecological processes.