Dr. Micah Freedman

Biography

Micah Freedman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. He holds a BSc from Cornell University and a PhD from the University of California, Davis, followed by a PostDoc at both the University of Chicago and the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on plant-insect interactions, particularly how plant chemistry mediates these interactions. His lab, the Freedman Lab, studies monarch butterflies and their relationship with milkweed host plants, emphasizing chemical ecology, ecological specialization, local adaptation, and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. The lab also investigates monarch butterfly migration using comparative approaches, experiments, community science data, and natural history collections, aiming to address crucial questions about adaptation and conservation. He is currently accepting prospective MSc and PhD students to join his research endeavors.

Research Interests