 | Günter P. Wagner |
Günter P. Wagner, newly named as the first Alison Richard Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is a noted researcher and theorist of developmental genetics and evolution.
The Alison Richard Professorship is awarded to a distinguished scholar and teacher who has exhibited qualities of leadership in departmental or institutional affairs. It was established recently in honor of the Yale anthropologist who served as the University's provost from 1994 until 2002. Richard, who will take up a new post as vice-chancellor of Cambridge University in the fall, was a member of the Yale faculty since 1972 and a former director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. She is a noted expert on the population dynamics, ecology and social behavior of the sifaka, one of Madagascar's endangered primates. As provost, she helped orchestrate the establishment of Yale's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Wagner and other researchers in his laboratory use mathematical modeling to understand the complex adaptations of organisms, with a focus on the molecular evolution of Hox genes and their role in the origin and early evolution of tetrapod limbs. For example, he has compared the expression of Hox genes between the primitive limbs of salamander and the highly derived limbs of frogs to understand the morphological evolution of these organisms. In another project, his lab studies the evolutionary history of Hox genes in primitive vertebrates and their correlation with the emergence of the developmental body plan of higher vertebrates. Wagner and his team have also developed new mathematical techniques in order to better understand gene interactions and evolutionary biology.
A native of Vienna, Austria, Wagner studied at the College for Chemical Engineering in that city and earned his Ph.D. in zoology and mathematical logic from the University of Vienna. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Max-Planck Institute and the University of Göttingen before joining the faculty at the University of Vienna in 1985. He taught there until joining the Yale faculty in 1991. At Yale, he served as chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 1997-2001 and was director of the Center for Computational Ecology 1993-1997.
Wagner has held visiting professorships at Northwestern University and at the University of Basel in Switzerland. He serves on the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals, including those for Evolution and Cognition, Evolution and Development, the Journal of Evolutionary Biology and American Naturalist, among others.
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Wagner has earned a number of honors for his work, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 1992.
T H I S
Günter Wagner is appointed
the first Alison Richard Professor
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Faculty elected to prestigious U.S. scholarly societiesSlowly but surely, historic house gets a new home
Yale affiliates honored for work in the arts
Center promoting elderly independence marks 10th year
Summertime at Yale
Italian scholar Guiseppe Mazzotta is named a Sterling Professor Professor
Günter Wagner is appointed the first Alison Richard Professor
Arjun Appadurai is chosen as next term's DeVane Professor
2003 Commencement Information
Federal grant funds researchers' study on risk factors for asthma
Program supports graduate students' language study
Alumni return for weekend celebrations
Former Eli football players to discuss the sport's impact . . .
Conservation leader establishes new scholarship at F&ES
Program will help Chinese leaders plan for sustainable development
Two scholars take work in 'new directions' with Mellon fellowships
UNIVERSITY TEACH-INPediatrician discusses 'paradox' of dyslexia in new book
SOM announces winners of inaugural business competition
Display features hopping, croaking 'Jewels of the Rainforest'
Familiar Bible stories depicted in fabric in new ISM exhibition
Search committee named for Law School Dean
Four undergraduates win nonfiction awards in writing contest
Campus Notes
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page