Rate My Professor Vincent Lynch

Vincent J. Lynch is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo. His academic background includes a BS in Biology and Anthropology from the University at Albany, SUNY in 2002, an MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale University in 2005, and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale University in 2008. As an expert in evolutionary developmental biology, Lynch investigates the genetic and molecular mechanisms driving differences between species, including the origin of new anatomical structures, biological functions, and developmental constraints. His research utilizes comparative genomics and experimental methods to explore the evolution of mammalian pregnancy, cancer resistance in animals with long lifespans and large body sizes such as elephants and whales, the role of evolutionary history in susceptibility to preterm birth and diseases like cancer, and genetic factors contributing to mammoth extinction. The Lynch Lab analyzes gene duplication to translate evolutionary discoveries into benefits for human health and well-being, addressing questions like how elephants avoid cancer despite their size and how genetic defects influenced mammoth survival.

Lynch's contributions include highly influential publications such as "Transposon-mediated rewiring of gene regulatory networks contributed to the evolution of pregnancy in mammals" (Nature Genetics, 2011), "Ancient transposable elements transformed the uterine regulatory landscape and transcriptome during the evolution of mammalian pregnancy" (Cell Reports, 2015), "TP53 copy number expansion is associated with the evolution of increased body size and an enhanced DNA damage response in elephants" (eLife, 2016), "A Zombie LIF Gene in Elephants Is Upregulated by TP53 to Induce Apoptosis in Response to DNA Damage" (Cell Reports, 2018), and "Functional architecture of deleterious genetic variants in the genome of a Wrangel Island mammoth" (Genome Biology and Evolution, 2020). These works have shaped understanding of evolutionary novelties, transposable elements in gene regulation, and adaptive responses in vertebrates. Additionally, his research on gorilla genomes, tortoise genomes, and phylogenies of placentas highlights impacts on human health insights from animal genetics. Lynch serves as a faculty expert on evolutionary developmental biology and genetics, genomics, mammoths, and mammalian pregnancy evolution. He has featured in the University at Buffalo podcast "Driven to Discover: Animal Genes and Human Health."