John Novembre

John Novembre is a Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago, where his lab develops theoretical models and computational methods for understanding genetic variation with species. Their work has developed several impactful tools for the analysis and visualization of population structure, especially in relation to geography. His team has also carried out large-scale analyses of variation in humans, canids, and other species to illuminate the impacts of demographic history, selection, and gene flow as evolutionary processes.

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra is a professor at the University of California, Davis, where he studies evolutionary genomics in maize and its wild relatives. His research explores how selection, demography, and human activity shape genetic diversity, focusing on adaptation, domestication, and genome evolution. Combining computational genomics, field studies, and collaborations across disciplines, Ross-Ibarra investigates questions ranging from the impacts of linked selection to the role of breeding and agriculture in shaping crop genomes. He is widely recognized for bridging population genetics and plant biology to better understand evolution in agricultural systems.

Jenny Tung

Jenny Tung is the Director of the Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and a Visiting Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology at Duke University. Jenny joined Duke University in 2012 after completing her post-doctoral training in the University of Chicago Department of Human Genetics and her PhD training in the Duke Biology department. She founded the Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution at MPI-EVA in 2022. Research in the department focuses on the intersection between behavior, social structure, and genes, primarily in nonhuman primates and other social mammals.