معرفی
Robert D. Reed is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Curator of Lepidoptera at Cornell University's Insect Collection. His research focuses on the developmental and evolutionary genetics of butterfly wing patterns, particularly exploring how color patterns arise and diversify under natural selection. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona (2004) and an A.B. from UC Berkeley (1997). His work integrates molecular genetics, ecology, and evolutionary biology to understand the genetic basis of adaptive traits like mimicry and seasonal plasticity. Notably, he identified key genes such as optix and WntA that regulate pattern formation. Reed's lab has produced over 50 publications, including landmark studies on cis-regulatory evolution and the genomic architecture of mimicry. He advises graduate students and postdocs, many of whom have become leading researchers in evolutionary biology.
Education:
- Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona (2004)
- A.B., Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley (1997)
Research Interests:
- Evolutionary genetics of butterfly wing patterns
- Regulatory evolution of developmental genes
- Seasonal plasticity and polyphenism
- Adaptive significance of color patterns in mimicry and camouflage
Labs/Teams:
- Reed Lab at Cornell University
- Collaborations with institutions like Duke University and Penn State University
