Todd Disotell

Professor, Department of Anthropology

I received my BA from Cornell University (1985) from an interdisciplinary major combining mathematics, computer science, and biological anthropology and went on to get an MA and Ph.D. (1992) from Harvard University in Biological Anthropology.  While originally there to study ape evolution through an anatomical and paleontological research perspective I shifted to molecular systematics.  I took a position at New York University in 1992 where I taught and carried out research for 27 years. In 2020 I came to UMass Amherst.  My research was centered around the evolution of Old World monkeys and apes, though I was also involved in studies involving New World monkeys, lemurids and lorisids, human population history, primate conservation and behavioral genetics, forensic applications, cryptozoology, and molecular evolutionary studies of diseases such as AIDS and malaria. 

As an aside, I am a strong proponent of public outreach of scientific research and have participated in several dozen TV shows, podcasts, and public lectures.

Research Interests: Primate evolution, molecular evolution, analytical techniques of phylogenetic systematics, history of biological anthropology, human variation

Twitter/X and Bluesky

Contact: tdisotell (at) umass.edu

Rachel Bell Burten

Postdoctoral Researcher

Research Interests: The microbiome/metagenomics, disease ecology, and coevolutionary systems

Website: https://rachelbell.umasscreate.net/

Contact: rbbell (at) umass.edu

Thomas Wilson

PhD Candidate (co-advised with Jason Kamilar)

Research Interests: Primate genetics, coloration, ecology

Twitter/X: pettyprimate

Contact: tcwilson (at) umass.edu

Zack Keller

Undergraduate Research Assistant