Mark D. Rausher

Mark D. Rausher is the John Carlisle Kilgo Distinguished Professor of Biology at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on evolutionary processes, particularly the genetic basis of adaptation and the evolution of metabolic pathways. He uses molecular and ecological approaches to study how phenotypic and genetic changes arise under natural selection.

Dr. Rausher holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago (1973) and a Ph.D. from Cornell University (1978). He has served as Department Chair of Biology (1995–2000) and has led numerous National Science Foundation and NIH-funded grants. His work has been recognized with the Sewall Wright Award (2016) and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2019).

His research spans plant evolutionary genetics, including studies on Penstemon, morning glories, and other taxa. Key themes include floral adaptation, pollination syndromes, and the genetic mechanisms underlying trait divergence. He has advised over 40 graduate students and postdocs, many of whom pursue academic careers.

Recent grants include collaborative NSF projects on pollination syndrome diversity and genomic studies of selfing syndrome evolution. His lab's work is detailed at his lab website.