Timothy Linksvayer

Timothy Linksvayer is an Associate Professor and Robert A. Johnson Chair in Social Insect Biology at Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences. His research focuses on the genetic, developmental, and behavioral mechanisms underlying social insect colonies' evolution and function. He holds a Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior from Indiana University (2005) and a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College.

Research Interests:

• Evolutionary and genetic basis of social behavior in ants and honeybees
• Role of symbionts (e.g., Wolbachia) in colony dynamics
• Comparative genomics of sociality across arthropods
• Indirect genetic effects and multilevel selection

Recent Articles: His work explores topics like ant colony productivity, microbial symbiosis effects, and genomic signatures of social evolution. The 2025 PNAS paper on social control in ants highlights his focus on evolutionary mechanisms.

Key Awards: Robert A. Johnson Chair in Social Insect Biology (endowed position).

Advising & Grants: Supervises a team of PhD/MS students (Kendrick Nakamura, Mathew Pekora, etc.) and collaborates on projects funded by grants related to social insect genomics and behavior. His lab actively investigates ant models like Monomorium pharaonis and Temnothorax species.

Labs/Teams: Lead investigator of the Linksvayer Lab at ASU, which integrates genomics, ecology, and evolutionary biology to study complex social systems. Collaborations include the Global Ant Genomics Alliance (GAGA).