Naomi Pierce

Naomi Pierce is the Hessel Professor of Biology in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She leads the Pierce Lab, which investigates behavioral ecology of species interactions including insect-plant associations and symbioses involving insects, microbes, and other organisms through molecular systematics, field ecology, laboratory analyses, comparative genomics, and museum surveys.

Her research spans behavioral ecology, evolution, symbiosis, phylogeny, biogeography, and biodiversity with emphasis on Lepidoptera. Key projects examine ant-plant mutualisms, caterpillar-ant symbioses, pollination biology, and biodiversity patterns in the Eastern Himalaya. Her multidisciplinary approach integrates fieldwork in China and Africa with genomic and computational methods to study non-model organisms.

Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in butterfly evolution, biogeography, and climate-driven diversification. Recurring methodologies include phylogenomic reconstruction, sensory ecology analyses, and cross-continental biogeographic studies, with increasing focus on temperature effects, transoceanic dispersal, and chemical signaling mechanisms in symbiotic relationships.

The Pierce Lab maintains active field programs in biodiversity hotspots including Yunnan Province and the Hengduan Mountains, collaborating with museums for specimen-based research while developing novel approaches like LiDAR vegetation phenotyping and thermal sensing in insect systems.