Gene E. Robinson

Gene E. Robinson is a Professor of Entomology and Director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Swanlund Chair and multiple affiliate appointments across disciplines. His research uses genomic and systems biology approaches to study social behavior in honey bees, focusing on mechanisms of division of labor, aggression, and communication. Robinson pioneered genomics in social behavior research and led the honey bee genome sequencing effort.

Education: B.A. and Ph.D. in Entomology from Cornell University (1986). Awards include the Wolf Prize in Agriculture, Guggenheim Fellowship, and membership in the National Academy of Sciences. He has trained over 35 postdoctoral researchers and 25 doctoral students, with many advancing to academic and industry roles.

Research emphasizes integrative studies of social evolution, including gene regulatory networks and brain plasticity. Notable contributions include linking honey bee social behavior to autism-related genes and developing technologies for monitoring bee behavior. Current projects explore gut microbiota effects on foraging, nutritional regulation of behavior, and automated bee tracking using RFID.

Awards: Over $70M in research grants, including NIH, NSF, and CZ Biohub support. Serves on National Academy committees and scientific advisory boards. Labs include the Robinson Lab and Carl R. Woese Institute, focusing on genomic and behavioral studies of social insects.