The evolution of complex life is an inherently multidisciplinary problem encompassing a wide range of topics, including:

• How do new levels of the biological hierarchy evolve?
• How do interactions between individual organisms contribute to complex phenotypes and behaviors?
• How do social behaviors evolve?
• How do evolutionary novelties emerge and evolve?
• How do organisms drive geochemical cycles and how do geochemical changes influence evolution?

This conference brings together scientists from different backgrounds to discuss these and other important topics about one of the most salient aspects of life: the evolution of complexity.

Register at http://eclife.biosci.gatech.edu/registration/ 

Conference Program

Below are the topics and confirmed speakers for the conference sessions.The detailed program will be available by April 15, 2019. Please check back at http://eclife.biosci.gatech.edu/program/ for updates.

The evolution of biological complexity

• Daniel McShea (Duke University)
• Ricard Solé (UPF Barcelona)

Mechanisms driving evolutionary innovations

• Joanna Masel (University of Arizona)
• Betül Kacar (University of Arizona)

Social evolution across scales

• Martin Nowak (Harvard University)
• Jeff Gore (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Evolutionary transitions

• Benjamin Kerr (University of Washington)
• Ozan Bozdağ (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Dynamics and evolution of Earth-systems

• Andrew Knoll (Harvard University)
• Jenny McGuire (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Principles of social evolution

• Anna Dornhaus (University of Arizona)
• Sam Díaz‐Muñoz (University of California – Davis)

Origins and nature of life

• Irene A. Chen (University of California – Santa Barbara)
• Sarah Keller (University of Washington)

Information dynamics in evolution

• Sara I. Walker (Arizona State University)
• Carlos Gershenson (UNAM México City)

Organizing and Scientific Committees

The members of the organizing and scientific committees are graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and professors from three schools within the College of Sciences of Georgia Tech.

Organizing Committee

•  Peter Conlin (School of Biological Sciences)
• Zijian Li (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
• Jennifer Pentz (School of Biological Sciences) 
• Pedro Márquez-Zacarías (School of Biological Sciences) 
• Gabi Steinbach (School of Physics)

Scientific Committee

• William Ratcliff  (School of Biological Sciences),
• Chris Reinhard (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
• Peter Yunker (School of Physics)

More information at http://eclife.biosci.gatech.edu/