| Ehab Abouheif | |
| Birth Place: | Montreal, Canada |
| Fields: | Evolutionary developmental biology |
| Workplaces: | McGill University, Konrad Lorenz Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University |
| Education: | Concordia University, Duke University |
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| Known For: | Ecology, evolutionary and developmental biology of ant societies |
| Awards: | Guggenheim Fellowship (2016), Steacie Fellowship (2014), Sloan Fellowship (2006) |
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Ehab Abouheif (born 28 July 1971 in Montreal, Canada), is a Canadian biologist and Professor in the Department of Biology at McGill University. He is a specialist in integrating ecology, evolutionary, and developmental biology of ant societies in order to understand the origins and evolution of complex biological systems.[1] He served as founding President of the Pan-American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology,[2] as well as co-founder for the McGill Centre for Islam and Science.[3]
Abouheif completed his bachelor's degree (1993) and a Masters (1995) with Honors at Concordia University in Canada. In 2002 he received a PhD in Biology from Duke University. In 2002, he began postdoctoral studies at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Chicago, completing it in 2003 at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2004 Abouheif was appointed Assistant Professorship at McGill University as Canada Research Chair (tier II) in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Currently, he is a James McGill Professor in the Department of Biology at McGill University.[1] [4] [5]
His research on "supersoldier ants" made a breakthrough in 2012 and revealed the importance of ancestral genetic potentials, which are stored and lay dormant in the genome for millions of years in almost all organisms. Abouheif discovered that with the right environmental triggers these potentials can be released and converted to ancestral-like phenotypic variation. Once released, ancestral genetic potentials can then be harnessed by selection to promote adaptation and evolution. Currently, Abouheif is trying to uncover the molecular mechanisms for the storage and release of ancestral genetic potentials in biological systems, and is working to harness these potentials to advance animal/plant breeding, medicine, and biodiversity conservation.[1]
Abouheif has been awarded national and international awards: the Sloan Fellowship (USA; 2006), the Steacie Fellowship (Canada; 2014), the Guggenheim Fellowship (USA; 2017), and was elected as a Member of the Royal Society of Canada (2016), the College of New Artists, Scholars and Scientists,.[1] [5] He served as founding President of the Pan-American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology,[2] as well as co-founder for the McGill Centre for Islam and Science.[3]
His most cited paper is "The evolution of transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes",[6] cited 1027 times, according to Google Scholar.[7]