David Hillis
Director
Dr. Hillis is the Director of the Biodiversity Center and a professor of Integrative Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. Best known for his studies of evolutionary biology and the diversity of life, he is a recipient of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hillis's research focuses on vertebrate diversity, molecular evolution of genomes, and the development of evolutionary theory and methodology. He is also the owner of the Double Helix Ranch, which specializes in the genetics and breeding of Texas Longhorn Cattle.
David Cannatella
Associate Director for Collections
Dr. Cannatella oversees the collections for the Biodiversity Center and is a professor of Integrative Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Cannatella has been with the university since 1990 and conducts research into the systematics and evolution of frogs, as well as salamanders, birds and bird fossils.He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette and Master's and PhD degrees from the University of Kansas, after which he conducted postdoctoral research in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Lawrence Gilbert
Associate Director for Field Stations
Dr. Gilbert oversees the field laboratories for the Biodiversity Center and is a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology. His research focuses on experimental population dynamics and developmental genetics of mimetic color patterns in Heliconius butterflies. By working across different levels of biology in the same tropical food web, he hopes to understand both the context and the mechanisms of evolution and coevolution. By carefully studying population-level events in the system, he hopes to understand rain forest diversity in terms of why low density species persist and coexist with congeners locally. He is also interested in applying findings of basic evolutionary ecology to conservation of diversity and better management to agroecosystems.
