Sarah P. Otto

Dr. Sarah P. Otto (Nickname: Sally) is a Professor at the University of British Columbia, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and the Department of Zoology. Her research focuses on understanding evolutionary processes through mathematical models, statistical inference, and experimental evolution with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plant systems. Key themes include the evolution of recombination, dominance, genome structure, and adaptation to changing environments.

Research Interests:

• Evolutionary transitions in reproduction and mating systems
• Genome size variation and its ecological implications
• Eco-evolutionary theory and speciation dynamics
• Genetic modifiers and selection processes
• Experimental validation using yeast and plant models
• Mathematical frameworks for adaptive trade-offs

Scientific Awards:

• Killam University Chair
• Canada Research Chair

She has supervised numerous graduate students and postdocs, including notable researchers like Dr. Aneil Agrawal (University of Toronto), Dr. Itay Mayrose (Tel Aviv University), and Dr. Shing Zhan (Oxford University). Her lab at the Biodiversity Research Center combines theoretical and experimental approaches to address fundamental questions in evolutionary biology.