Scott teaches a variety of courses in evolutionary biology, ornithology and population genetics. In addition, many postdocs in the lab find that becoming a Teaching Fellow for LS1b is a good way to stretch funds and get some valuable experience teaching in a large survey course in genetics and evolution.

OEB 275r changes every year and this year we focused on emerging issues in phylogenmics. The seminar attracted about 18 students and postdocs each session and we had very lively discussions, focusing on multilocus phylogenetics, species trees, and gene tree/species tree conflict. During Spring 2009 Edwards taught ornithology (OEB 190) which consists of lectures, laboratory sessions, computer project and field trips, including a spring-break field trip to Mexico (this will next be taught in spring 2012). In the fall of 2011 the main emphasis will be on OEB 282, which is a graduate-level plannign course in the genomics and evolution of infectious disease, to be taught with Prof. Pardis Sabeti. Scott's interest in this area grows out of his ongoing research on the evolution of disease resistance in House Finches and pathogenicity in Mycoplasma gallisepticum. OEB 282 developed syllabi for use in a General Education Course on "Genomics, Evolution and Infectious Disease", which will introduce undergraduates to this exciting field of applied evolution. Graduate students in the lab are often recruited to act as Teaching Fellows for these courses.

Courses

OEB 125. Molecular Ecology and Evolution (Fall 2011)

Catalog Number: 2691
Scott V. Edwards and guest lecturers
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1 and two hours weekly of computer laboratory. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
A survey of empirical applications of DNA technologies to the study of evolutionary, ecological and behavioral processes in natural populations. Topics to be covered will span a variety of hierarchical levels, timescales, and taxonomic groups, and will include the evolution of genes, genomes and proteins; the neutral theory of molecuplar evolution and molecular clocks; population genomics and phylogenetic principles of speciation and phylogeography; simple sequence repeats in forensics and behavioral ecology; evolutionary genetics of disease resistance; and conservation genetics. Note: Weekly computer laboratories will introduce the use of the internet and computational software in DNA sequence alignment and phylogenetic and population genetic analysis.
Prerequisite: BS 50 or 52.

OEB 282. Genomics and Evolution of Infectious Disease (Graduate Seminar in General Education) - (New Course) Catalog Number: 43026 (Fall term 2011)

Scott V. Edwards and Pardis Sabeti Half course. W., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9 Infectious diseases rapidly evolve to evade our immune systems, drugs, and vaccines, to remain agents of great morbidity and mortality. We will investigate the genome evolution of these pathogens and our intervention strategies for them past and present, with case examples from avian flu, malaria, TB, lassa fever and more. The seminar will design and develop a General Education course on these themes for undergraduates.

OEB 275r. Phylogenetics in the Era of Genomics Catalog Number: 5004 (Fall Term 2009)

Scott V. Edwards Half course. Tu., 1:00-3 p.m. and occasional computer labs. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16 A survey of the changing landscape of molecular systematics brought on by the power of modern genomics. Emphasis will be on the challenges of combining DNA sequence data from many genes and the rise of species trees as a paradigm in systematics. Lectures and journal paper readings will be supplemented by occasional laboratories illustrating new multilocus phylogenetics methods. Prerequisite: OEB 53, OEB 181 or equivalent.

OEB 275r. A Survey of Evolutionary Biology (Spring 2008)

Catalog Number: 5004
Scott V. Edwards, Charles Marshall • Farish Jenkins • Arkhat Abzhanov •Chris Organ • Martin Nowak • Hopi Hoekstra • Marcus Kronforst • Chris Marx •Brian Langerhans • Anne Pringle • Brian Farrell
Half course (fall term). W., 1-2:30. EXAM GROUP:

A survey of the cutting-edge frontiers of evolutionary biology, delivered by a diversity of OEB faculty. Modules consist of paired Monday-Wednesday learning sessions. Mondays will consist of structured lecture topics. Wednesdays will consist of Professor-led exercises of the Monday topic. Wednesday will include paper discussions, debates on a specific topic, or introduction to novel computer programs in the Science Center Mac lab. Topics include macroevolution (Marshall), vertebrate paleontology (Jenkins), evolutionary developmental biology (Abzhanov) , natural and sexual selection (Langerhans) , speciation (Hoekstra, Kronforst), phylogenetics and the comparative method (Edwards, Organ), evolutionary dynamics (Nowak), microbial evolution (Marx), evolutionary ecology (Pringle) and co-speciation (Farrell). Short homework assignments will emphasize scientific writing and achievement of evolutionary literacy at the level of professional evolutionary biologists and our national scientific societies.

OEB 190. Biology and Diversity of Birds (last taught Spring 2009)

Catalog Number: 3870 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Scott V. Edwards
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
An introduction to the biology of birds. Covers the fossil record and theories for avian origins, physiology and anatomy, higher-level systematics and field characters of the ~27 orders, speciation processes, nesting and courtship behavior, vocalizations, mating systems and sexual selection, cooperative breeding, demography and conservation. Optional field trip to the Neotropics during spring break. Laboratories will consist of gross anatomy, bird watching excursions in the Cambridge area, field techniques and specimen preparation, and systematic study of avian groups using the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

2004-2005 Courses

OEB 362. Research in Molecular Evolution

Catalog Number: 2367
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). EXAM GROUP:

OEB 275r. Natural Selection at the Molecular Level

Catalog Number: 5004
Scott V. Edwards
Half course (fall term). W., 1-2:30. EXAM GROUP:
Through reading of the primary literature, this course reviews recent empirical evidence for natural selection at the molecular level. Topics will vary depending on student interest, and could include host-parasite interactions, balancing selection, geographic variation, molecular clocks, and eukaryotic genome evolution.