Christopher Wheat Professor

Our work focused upon using ecological and evolutionary genomics to investigate adaptation in the wild.

In our lab, our research goal is to find and study genetic variation causing fitness consequences, across microevolutionary to macroevolutionary scales. I integrate across research disciplines (e.g. molecular biology, population genetics, physiology, biochemistry, ecology, systematics) and utilize a diversity of tools from butterfly nets to many ‘omics techniques. I primarily use butterflies as a model system because of their central role in ecological and evolutionary theory and research.  Importantly, genomic resources and gene manipulation tools (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing) are mature in these research systems, allowing us to make robust connections between genotypes and phenotypes.

Please contact me if you are seeking research internsips, Master's projects, PhD or Postdoctoral research projects.

We have many opportunites available. If you wish to pursue funding together, I routinely write grants with candidates that are a good fit for the lab (note that work does not neeed to include butterflies!).

For recently published papers from the group and collaborations, see my Google Scholar page