Selvadurai Dayanandan

Selvadurai Dayanandan is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Concordia University's Faculty of Arts and Science. He currently serves as Associate Dean - Research and Infrastructure (2024-), having previously served as Chair of the Biology Department (2020-2024), Board of Governors member (2020-2024), and Senate member at Concordia University. His academic career spans evolutionary biology, genomics, and biodiversity conservation with a focus on forest ecosystems.

Dr. Dayanandan's educational background includes:

• PhD from Boston University
• Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Massachusetts-Boston
• Izaak W. Killam Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Alberta

Dr. Dayanandan's research focuses on evolutionary genomics, microbiomics, molecular systematics, population genetics, phylogeography, and biodiversity conservation. His work aims to understand the processes underlying the evolutionary origin and maintenance of biological diversity, with specific emphasis on forest trees. His laboratory conducts studies in forest tree community assembly, population genetics, and microbiomics of tropical and temperate forest trees and crop plants, providing insights for conservation and sustainable management strategies.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on global biodiversity patterns, forest ecology, and conservation genomics. The research spans tropical and temperate ecosystems, with particular attention to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India. His work integrates phylogenetic, genomic, and ecological approaches to address questions about species diversity, community assembly, and responses to environmental change.

Dr. Dayanandan has received several notable scientific honors:

• Izaak W. Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative President Elect
• Council Member of Shastri Indo Canadian Institute
• Member of Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences

As an academic leader, Dr. Dayanandan has served as Director of the Graduate Program in Biology (2010-2016) and Director of the Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology and Genomics (2008-2010). His editorial service includes being an Associate Editor for BOTANY (formerly Canadian Journal of Botany). His grant activities support research in evolutionary biology, biodiversity conservation, and forest genomics, with a particular emphasis on understanding the relationships between genetic diversity and ecosystem function.

Dr. Dayanandan leads a research laboratory focused on evolutionary genomics and biodiversity conservation. His team investigates forest tree community assembly, population genetics, and microbiomics across tropical and temperate ecosystems. The lab employs molecular, genomic, and ecological approaches to study biodiversity patterns and processes, with special attention to the Western Ghats hotspot in India and forest ecosystems in North America.