The Mack Lab

The Mack lab tackles broad questions in adaptation, speciation, and population genetics. Our lab focuses on mammals, particularly mice, as a model for understanding evolutionary change within and between species.

Our lab is particularly interested in understanding the role of gene expression regulation in evolutionary processes. Gene expression is a molecular phenotype that is essential to organismal form and fitness. Understanding how gene regulation evolves over time and contributes to phenotypic differences within and between species is essential to our understanding of evolution. Overarching goals of our research program include characterizing the nature of regulatory variation as well as its role in evolutionary processes like adaptation and speciation.

We have a new NIH grant to study gene regulatory variation and complex trait evolution. If you are excited about questions related to gene expression evolution, genotype-phenotype connections, and convergent evolution, reach out to [email protected]


Gene regulatory evolution and adaptation

How do species adapt to new or changing environments? Our research investigates the genomic basis of adaptation in diverse systems to answer fundamental evolutionary questions, including:
  • What is the role of gene regulatory changes in adaptation to novel environments?
  • What is the role of gene-by-environment interactions in gene expression variation and adaptation?
  • Is parallel/convergent evolution repeatable on the genomic level?

 Picture
Mack et al. 2018, Genome Research

Gene regulatory network evolution, hybridization, and speciation

What drives the formation of new species and the evolution of reproductive barriers? Our lab investigates the genetic basis of reproductive barriers, particularly postzygotic reproductive barriers (e.g., hybrid sterility or inviability), and how these barriers evolve.
  • What are the loci involved in hybrid sterility/inviability?
  • How does divergence in gene regulatory networks contribute to reproductive isolation and the maintenance of species barriers?
  • What are the evolutionary mechanisms driving speciation?
Mack et al. 2019, Genes