MEETING: Evolutionary Endocrinology: Hormones as Mediators of Evolutionary Phenomena (SICB Symposium, January 5, 2016 in Portland, OR)

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

This conference will bring together leading experts to explore the importance of hormones in evolutionary research. A central goal of modern biology is to understand the complex networks through which genes are translated into organisms. Historically, the field of endocrinology has played a large part in this endeavor by discovering the many pathways through which hormones regulate the behavior, development, and physiology of organisms. In parallel, the field of evolutionary biology has developed the statistical tools for predicting how both genes and organisms evolve in response to selection, as well as a variety of experimental techniques for testing these predictions. Yet, evolutionary biologists have rarely sought to incorporate hormones and endocrine pathways into evolutionary theory, and most endocrinologists still focus on a handful of "model organisms," providing relatively little evolutionary context for their mechanistic studies. With the increasing availability of genomic data from non-model species and the relative ease with which "next-generation" sequencing technologies now permit scientists to assess the roles of hormones in coordinating the expression of thousands of genes, these fields are ripe for synthesis under the emerging framework of Evolutionary Endocrinology. Held at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, this conference will bring together endocrinologists and evolutionary biologists to explore the many roles of hormones in mediating phenomena that are at the forefront of modern evolutionary research. It will establish SICB as the home for this emerging field while leveraging this society's diverse network of Divisions with complementary views (Comparative Endocrinology, Ecology & Evolution, Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Animal Behavior). The award will support symposium speakers who encompass a diverse mix of genders, career stages, focal species, endocrine pathways, and evolutionary phenomena. It will also support a complementary session by a similarly diverse lineup of students, postdocs and early career scientists, along with online resources and networking events designed to foster collaboration between these young investigators and established leaders in the field. Participants will each contribute a peer-reviewed article to a special issue of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Conference organizers will provide a synthetic overview and prospectus piece designed to identify and develop actionable strategies for a synthetic field of Evolutionary Endocrinology to emerge as a foundation for training the next generation of integrative scientists.