T. Ryan Gregory
Encyclopedia
Dr. T. Ryan Gregory is a Canadian evolutionary biologist and genome biologist
and a tenured
Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph
in Guelph
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Gregory completed his B.Sc. (Hons) at McMaster University
in Hamilton
, Ontario in 1997 and his Ph.D.
in evolutionary biology and zoology
at the University of Guelph in 2002. He then carried out postdoctoral work at the American Museum of Natural History
in New York City
(2002-2003) and the Natural History Museum
in London
, England
(2003-2004) before returning to the University of Guelph as a faculty member.
His research
focuses primarily on the issue of genome size
evolution
(the so-called "C-value paradox" or "C-value enigma
"). He is also active in the DNA barcoding
initiative spearheaded by his former Ph.D. adviser, Prof. Paul D.N. Hebert
at the University of Guelph. In particular, he is Scientific Coordinator of the HealthBOL initiative focused on parasites
, pathogen
s, and disease vectors, part of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project.
He has been the recipient of several awards including the NSERC Howard Alper Postdoctoral Prize (2003), a McMaster Alumni Association Arch Award (2005), an American Society of Naturalists
Young Investigator Prize (2006), the Canadian Society of Zoologists Bob Boutilier New Investigator Award (2007), a University of Guelph Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award for teaching (2008), and the Genetics Society of Canada Robert H. Haynes Young Scientist Award (2010).
Gregory is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific journal
articles with an h-index
of 22, and edited the book The Evolution of the Genome in 2004. From 2007 to 2009, he was an Associate Editor of the journal Evolution: Education and Outreach founded by Niles Eldredge
. He also maintains an active blog, Genomicron, and created Evolver Zone, an online resource for students and educators.
In addition to his scientific and educational interests, he has developed BioArt
projects using living organisms. His Microbial Art website, which showcases works by a variety of artists and scientists, has been featured in print and online publications in a variety of countries.
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
and a tenured
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph
University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Gregory completed his B.Sc. (Hons) at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario in 1997 and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in evolutionary biology and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at the University of Guelph in 2002. He then carried out postdoctoral work at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(2002-2003) and the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(2003-2004) before returning to the University of Guelph as a faculty member.
His research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
focuses primarily on the issue of genome size
Genome size
Genome size is the total amount of DNA contained within one copy of a single genome. It is typically measured in terms of mass in picograms or less frequently in Daltons or as the total number of nucleotide base pairs typically in megabases . One picogram equals 978 megabases...
evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
(the so-called "C-value paradox" or "C-value enigma
C-value enigma
The C-value enigma or C-value paradox is a term used to describe the complex puzzle surrounding the extensive variation in nuclear genome size among eukaryotic species...
"). He is also active in the DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding is a taxonomic method that uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify it as belonging to a particular species. It differs from molecular phylogeny in that the main goal is not to determine classification but to identify an unknown sample in terms of a known...
initiative spearheaded by his former Ph.D. adviser, Prof. Paul D.N. Hebert
Paul D.N. Hebert
Paul D. N. Hebert, FRSC is a Canadian biologist. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Biodiversity , and is a tenured full professor at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, as well as being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and the director of the Biodiversity...
at the University of Guelph. In particular, he is Scientific Coordinator of the HealthBOL initiative focused on parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
, pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s, and disease vectors, part of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project.
He has been the recipient of several awards including the NSERC Howard Alper Postdoctoral Prize (2003), a McMaster Alumni Association Arch Award (2005), an American Society of Naturalists
American Society of Naturalists
The American Society of Naturalists was founded in 1883 and is one of the oldest professional societies dedicated to the biological sciences in North America...
Young Investigator Prize (2006), the Canadian Society of Zoologists Bob Boutilier New Investigator Award (2007), a University of Guelph Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award for teaching (2008), and the Genetics Society of Canada Robert H. Haynes Young Scientist Award (2010).
Gregory is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
articles with an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of 22, and edited the book The Evolution of the Genome in 2004. From 2007 to 2009, he was an Associate Editor of the journal Evolution: Education and Outreach founded by Niles Eldredge
Niles Eldredge
Niles Eldredge is an American paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972.-Education:...
. He also maintains an active blog, Genomicron, and created Evolver Zone, an online resource for students and educators.
In addition to his scientific and educational interests, he has developed BioArt
BioArt
BioArt is an art practice where humans work with live tissues, bacteria, living organisms, and life processes. Using scientific processes such as biotechnology the artworks are produced in laboratories, galleries, or artists' studios...
projects using living organisms. His Microbial Art website, which showcases works by a variety of artists and scientists, has been featured in print and online publications in a variety of countries.