Julian Torres-Dowdall

Julian Torres-Dowdall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, within the College of Science. His research group focuses on the causes and consequences of adaptive evolution, particularly in fish systems, integrating field, laboratory, and statistical methods.

Education:

• PhD, Biology, Colorado State University (2012)
• M.Sc., Wildlife Management, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina (2007)
• B.A., Biology (Zoology), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina (2005)

Research Interests:
Dr. Torres-Dowdall's work explores how genetic and developmental variation interact with environmental gradients to drive evolutionary trajectories. His lab investigates life history evolution, visual sensitivity, and morphological variation, with a focus on cichlid and anablepid fishes. He employs integrative approaches to study speciation, phenotypic plasticity, and sensory adaptation.

Publication Trends:
His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on visual ecology, particularly opsin gene expression and chromophore usage in response to light environments. There is a recurring theme of genetic assimilation, phenotypic plasticity, and convergent evolution in rapidly diversifying fish lineages, especially in Nicaraguan crater lakes.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• Fulbright Doctorate Fellow
• Merrilee Clark Redmond Endowment for Excellence - Graduate Research Initiation Grant
• UNDERC Graduate Fellowship

Advising and Grants:
Dr. Torres-Dowdall actively mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers, including PhD students César Bertinetti Cerrato and Hanna Jewell, and MSc student Xiyuan Guan. His lab has secured internal and external funding, supporting field and laboratory experiments on sensory evolution and life history traits. Students have received recognition for teaching, leadership, and research excellence.

Lab and Research Facilities:
The Torres-Dowdall Lab is based at the Galvin Life Science Center and conducts research at ND-LEEF (Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility), where large-scale pond experiments manipulate light environments to study phenotypic variation in sunfishes and cichlids.