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Stephen Wright is a Professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department at the University of Toronto. His primary research interests focus on understanding the forces driving patterns of nucleotide polymorphism and genome evolution in natural plant populations. He investigates critical questions such as the relative importance of mutation versus natural selection in shaping genome structure and how population history and mating systems influence the genetic variability and effectiveness of natural selection. Additionally, he examines the rate and strength of adaptive evolution related to deleterious mutations and their genetic basis. His methodological approaches include the collection and analysis of DNA sequence polymorphism, molecular evolution data, and large-scale genome sequence information, all grounded in population genetic theory. These approaches are applied in both comparative contexts and within model and non-model organisms to understand the forces driving genomic diversity and structure. Current projects led by Professor Wright include characterizing the forces behind transposable element abundance and evolution, investigating the effects of recombination and mating systems on genome evolution and diversity, and distinguishing the effects of demographic history and natural selection on genetic diversity.
Department of Sociology