Joshua Plotkin

Joshua Plotkin is a Professor of Biology and holds the Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professorship of Natural Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a core member of the University’s Center for Mathematical Biology, which focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of mathematics, biology, and ecology. His work integrates evolutionary theory, game theory, and computational models to study topics such as cooperation evolution, population dynamics, and the evolution of social norms.

Plotkin’s research interests span evolutionary biology and ecology, with a particular emphasis on mathematical approaches to understanding biological systems. He leads initiatives in the Center for Mathematical Biology, including organizing seminar series and mentoring postdoctoral fellows funded by the Simons Foundation. These fellows are typically advised by mentors from both the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Biology, reflecting the Center’s interdisciplinary mission.

His recent work explores topics like the evolution of cooperation, the dynamics of social learning, and the impact of network structures on strategic interactions. Plotkin’s publications frequently address game-theoretic models of human and microbial behavior, including studies on indirect reciprocity, reputation systems, and the evolutionary consequences of environmental feedbacks. His research also examines historical constraints on biological systems, such as the evolution of color naming in human cultures.

Plotkin advises graduate students in the Department of Biology and collaborates with researchers across disciplines. He is actively involved in initiatives to model the spread of diseases, such as the multi-strain analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and has contributed to theoretical frameworks explaining evolutionary rescue and the role of phenotypic plasticity in adaptation.

No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts, but his contributions to mathematical biology and evolutionary theory are widely recognized. The Center for Mathematical Biology, under his leadership, serves as a hub for collaborative research and training, fostering innovation in quantitative biological sciences.