In Review


Evolutionary biologist and assistant professor of biology Nancy Chen analyzes how different evolutionary forces contribute to genetic patterns. A current project involves evaluating endangered, wild birds—Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens)—that have been individually marked and studied since 1969.
“It’s really important to me to study organisms in their natural environment because selection pressures will be different in the lab versus in the field,” says Chen, who annually travels to the Archbold Biological Station in central Florida to tag the birds and search for new nests.
Using 50 years of collected data, Chen creates family trees and develops pedigree simulations to analyze the ways in which the birds’ genetic material is changing due to habitat loss and a decrease in population.
Her research also has important implications for understanding human genetics and accurately predicting how public health interventions might affect the long-term genetics of human populations.