About
Prof Michael Ritchie is a Professor and Researcher at the University of St Andrews' School of Biology. His research focuses on evolutionary genetics of mating behaviors influencing sexual isolation and speciation, particularly in Drosophila species. He investigates the molecular and quantitative genetics of courtship signals like song and pheromones, as well as population genetics of Mexican fish and crickets. Ritchie supervises PhD students Jae Walker and Jakob Wiil. His work bridges evolutionary theory with empirical genomics, emphasizing speciation mechanisms and adaptive processes. He collaborates on projects spanning Drosophila ecology, climate adaptation, and cancer biology through PDX models and immunotherapy platforms.
Research highlights include studies on Drosophila montana cold adaptation, genomic signatures of speciation in Drosophila virilis group, and the role of sexual selection in speciation across taxa. His recent work explores tumor microenvironment dynamics and translational cancer research using patient-derived xenografts. Ritchie's contributions integrate evolutionary biology with modern genomic tools, addressing questions of biodiversity and medical relevance.
