Windsor Aguirre

Windsor Aguirre is a Professor of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and Health at DePaul University, specializing in evolutionary biology and ichthyology. He maintains active research collaborations as a Collections Associate at the Field Museum of Natural History and a Research Associate with the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad of Ecuador. His lab focuses on evolutionary diversification processes in fishes across diverse ecosystems from tropical Ecuador to temperate Alaska and Chicago.

Dr. Aguirre's research interests include:

• Early stages of evolutionary diversification and factors facilitating or constraining evolution
• Evolutionary history of Neotropical fishes
• Adaptation to human-mediated habitat transformation
• Integration of body form and axial skeleton during evolution
• Conservation of freshwater fish biodiversity, particularly in Ecuador

His research employs diverse methodologies including geometric morphometrics to study morphological variation and molecular markers to analyze genetic diversity. Recent work has examined how the axial skeleton responds to evolutionary changes in body form as fish populations adapt to different habitats, along with the functional significance and developmental mechanisms underlying these changes.

Dr. Aguirre has received recognition through several scientific honors:

• Fellow of the Linnean Society of London
• Life Member of the Society for the Study of Evolution
• Member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
• Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Academic Editor for PLOS One
• Newly elected member of the Academy of Sciences of Ecuador

Dr. Aguirre has mentored numerous graduate students through their theses and dissertations, with research projects spanning evolutionary biology, ichthyology, and conservation. His lab actively collaborates on field research in western Ecuador, studying freshwater fish species and their conservation status. He is particularly committed to promoting science education as a means of progress for underserved communities and encourages students from South and Central America to contact him about research opportunities.