An assistant professor in the Department of Biology has been awarded an Early Stage Investigator grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Bin He will use the funding to investigate how gene regulatory networks evolve as an organism reacts to external perturbations—such as a change in temperature or source of food— how they may contribute to a species’ adaptation to its environment. His lab will compare non-pathogenic yeasts and related commensal and opportunistic yeast pathogens. The researchers will then be able to determine how those changes contribute to the survival of, and the severity of harm to, the host.

“Our research will add to the existing knowledge and potentially break new ground by bringing in this evolutionary perspective,” He said.