معرفی
Amy L Toth is a Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Iowa State University, holding dual appointments in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology and the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She leads the Toth Laboratory of Integrative Insect Sociobiology, conducting research at the intersection of ecology, evolution, behavior, and genomics.
Her educational background includes a B.A. in Biology from Bard College (2000) and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2006).
Toth's research focuses on three core areas: comparative genomics of bees and wasps to understand the evolution of eusociality; mechanisms of social behavior including maternal care and division of labor; and integrative pollinator health examining habitat impacts on honey bees and wild bees in Midwestern agricultural landscapes. Her work employs genomic, behavioral, and ecological approaches to address fundamental questions about social evolution and critical conservation challenges facing pollinators.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on genomic approaches to social evolution, conservation genomics of endangered bumble bees (particularly in Patagonia), and landscape-level interventions for improving pollinator health in agricultural systems. Key thematic threads include the impact of prairie restoration on bee health, comparative studies of native and managed pollinators, and molecular mechanisms underlying social behavior.
Toth actively contributes to interdisciplinary programs including Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Interdepartmental Genetics, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She teaches courses in Animal Behavior, Advanced Animal Behavior (Genes and Behavior), and Bee Biology, Management, and Beekeeping, demonstrating strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education.
Her laboratory applies integrative approaches to address real-world complexity in pollinator health, collaborating internationally (including projects in Argentina) and working at the interface of basic research and applied conservation. Current projects investigate the role of prairie habitat in mitigating nutritional stress for honey bees, comparative genomics of social evolution, and mechanisms of social behavior in wasps.
