David Sloan Wilson, a SUNY Binghamton Distinguished Professor who applied evolutionary theory in an effort to improve his local community, will deliver New York University’s annual Darwin Lecture on Friday, March 23, 4 p.m. at NYU’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology.

 David Sloan Wilson, Author of “The Neighborhood Project,” to Deliver Annual Darwin Lecture—March 23
David Sloan Wilson (above), a SUNY Binghamton Distinguished Professor who applied evolutionary theory in an effort to improve his local community, will deliver New York University’s annual Darwin Lecture on Friday, March 23, 4 p.m. at NYU’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) Auditorium.

David Sloan Wilson, a SUNY Binghamton Distinguished Professor who applied evolutionary theory in an effort to improve his local community, will deliver New York University’s annual Darwin Lecture on Friday, March 23, 4 p.m. at NYU’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) Auditorium (12 Waverly Place, bet. Greene and Mercer; subways: N/R @ 8th St., 6 @ Astor Pl.).

Wilson, president of the Evolution Institute and a professor of biology and anthropology, had authored two books about Charles Darwin when he decided to apply evolutionary theory and data collection to improve the city of Binghamton, NY. He and his collaborators employed a variety of techniques--studies of holiday decorations and garage sales, genetic testing, and attitude questionnaires--to create a map of the neighborhoods in Binghamton that reflects the civic engagement in each. Wilson chronicled his efforts in the recently released The Neighborhood Project, in which he posits that evolutionary biology can offer guidance for improving other aspects of life.

The lecture, hosted by NYU’s Department of Biology and co-sponsored with the university’s Dean for Science, is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please direct questions to biology@nyu.edu or 212.998.8209. Reporters interested in attending must RSVP to James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.

Wilson’s books include: Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives, Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society, and, co-authored with Elliott Sober, Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior.

New York University’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology
The 14 faculty at NYU’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology are integrating vast amounts of genomic data into systems and networks to predictively model the regulatory mechanisms controlling life, at the level of single cells, tissues, and across the six kingdoms of life. These studies, which span the genomes of a range of model organisms from bacteria to animals and plants, have implications for human health and agriculture. Potential applications include the development of new diagnostics for in vitro fertilization, treatment of disease states such as malaria, and alterations of organisms for practical gain, such as biofuels or nitrogen-use efficiency. The research involves the combined skills of genomicists, bioinformaticians, systematists, and evolutionary biologists all working together in signature open plan “loft” laboratories in a new 70,000-square- foot, state-of-the-art Genome Center Science building located at the heart of NYU’s Washington Square campus.

For more, go to: http://cgsb.as.nyu.edu/page/home.

 

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James Devitt
James Devitt
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