Hopi E. Hoekstra

Hopi Hoekstra is an evolutionary geneticist who studies the molecular basis of adaptation in wild mice. Her work spans the fields of evolution, behavior, morphology, genetics, genomics, development and neurobiology. Initially, she became known for her work uniting molecular and population-genetic approaches to understand the evolution of adaptive pelage color in mice. More recently, she has become a leader in the study of behavioral genetics, uniting genomic, neurobiological and ethological approaches to understand how behavior evolves. Finally, she is a leader in the field of evolutionary biology, particularly with regard to the role of molecular, genetic and developmental processes responsible for evolution change, and hence is directing the future of the field.