معرفی
Thomas Kocher is a Professor at the University of Maryland, Department of Biology, leading the Kocher Lab. His research focuses on the evolutionary genetics of cichlid fishes, particularly speciation mechanisms, genomic architecture of adaptive traits, and sex determination. He teaches courses including BSCI 222 (Principles of Genetics) and BIOL338K (Genetic Research on Cichlid Fishes). His work integrates genomic, developmental, and ecological approaches to understand rapid diversification in African Great Lakes cichlids.
Education: B.A., Yale University (1981); Ph.D., University of Colorado (1986). His lab studies genes influencing phenotypic traits like jaw morphology, color patterns, and sex determination, aiming to identify alleles driving speciation. Recent work includes discoveries of chromosome inversions creating supergenes for sex and coloration in Lake Malawi cichlids.
Key research themes include sex chromosome evolution, polygenic sex determination, and the genomic basis of adaptive radiation. His lab has generated chromosome-level genome assemblies for multiple cichlid species, revealing structural variations critical to biodiversity. Collaborations with institutions worldwide enhance studies on global cichlid diversity.
