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Speaker profile
      Dr. Daehan Lee is an up-and-coming evolutionary biologist who has made many fascinating discoveries by exploiting the natural variation in the model nematode, C. elegans. Recently, using population genomics approaches he has found that, despite C. elegans having a mostly inbreeding (selfing) lifestyle, balancing selection of hyper-divergent haplotypes is pervasive in the genome. He has also found extensive natural genetic variation in both pheromone production and reception, which are processes important for developmental decisions and mate finding. These studies provide important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of chemical communication. Furthermore, his studies indicate that some natural variants in pheromone response are likely recently evolved, and possibly driven by human activities, such as associated with agriculture. Dr. Lee is also interested in many other aspects of evolutionary genetics, evolutionary development (evo-devo), and nervous system evolution.