Corrie S. Moreau is an evolutionary biologist and entomologist with a specialty in myrmecology, the study of ants. She is currently a professor and curator at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Moreau studies the evolution, ecology, biogeography, systematics, and diversification of insects and their microbial gut-symbionts using molecular and genomic tools.[1] She has also been an advocate for increasing women and diversity in the sciences.[2][3][4][5][6]

Corrie S. Moreau
Corrie Moreau photo by Roberto Keller-Perez
Born
Corrie Saux

New Orleans, United States
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUSA
Alma materHarvard University
San Francisco State University
University of California, Berkeley
Scientific career
FieldsBiology
Evolutionary biology
InstitutionsCornell University
ThesisEvolution and diversification of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (2007)
Doctoral advisorE. O. Wilson
Naomi Pierce

Education

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Moreau received a PhD in biology from Harvard University (2003 – 2007) under the guidance of E. O. Wilson[7][8] and Naomi Pierce.

She received a MSc[9] from San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences (2000 – 2003) and a Bachelors (1996 – 2000) from San Francisco State University.

Career

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After completing her Ph.D. in 2007 Corrie Moreau was selected as a Miller Research Fellows of the Miller Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008 she became an assistant curator at the Field Museum of Natural History where she stayed for 10 years being promoted to associate curator in 2014. In 2019 Moreau moved to Cornell University as full professor and director and curator of the Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC).

Research

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Moreau and colleagues were the first to establish the origin of the ants at 140 million years ago using molecular sequence data (40 million years older than previous estimates), and that the diversification of the ants coincided with the rise of the flowering plants (angiosperms).[10][11][12] In addition, Moreau and Charles D. Bell showed that the tropics have been and continue to be important for the evolution of the ants.[13][14][15] Moreau and colleagues have demonstrated the importance of gut-associated bacteria in the evolutionary and ecological success of ants through targeted bacterial and microbiome sequencing,[16][17][18] including showing that bacterial gut symbionts are tightly linked with the evolution of herbivory in ants.[18]

Awards and recognition

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In 2021 elected a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.

In 2020 elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America.[19]

In 2018 elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[20]

In 2018 featured by National Geographic as a Women of Impact.[6]

In 2016 selected as a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences.[21]

In 2015 Moreau was included in "15 Brilliant Women Bridging the Gender Gap in Science"[22] and in 2014 listed as "10 Women Scientists You Should Follow on Twitter".[23]

In 2014 selected as a National Geographic Explorer[24] – National Geographic Society.

Moreau was elected a Miller Fellow[25] of the Miller Institute at the University of California, Berkeley (2007 – 2008).

She received two "Excellence and Distinction in Teaching Awards" from Harvard University's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning (2004 & 2006).[26]

Moreau was featured in Chapter 13 of Edward O. Wilson's 2013 book "Letters to a Young Scientist."[7][8] Wilson writes "There was no bravado in Corrie, no trace of overweening pride, no pretension." Wilson goes on to state "The story of Corrie Saux Moreau's ambitious undertaking is one I feel especially important to bring to you. It suggest that courage in science born of self-confidence (without arrogance!), a willingness to take a risk but with resilience, a lack of fear of authority, a set of mind that prepares you to take a new direction if thwarted, are of great value – win or lose."[7]

Personal life

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Moreau was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Moreau is married to French chemist, Christophe Duplais.[27] She was the subject of a museum exhibit[28] and graphic novel,[29][30] "The Romance of Ants" .

Selected publications

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Corrie Moreau Home Page". Archived from the original on 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  2. ^ "Badass Scientists, part 2: Corrie Moreau". 24 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Women in Science: Corrie Moreau, Evolutionary Biologist and Entomologist". 2017-03-13. Archived from the original on 2017-03-25. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  4. ^ "SACNISTAs Speak! SACNISTAs Lead! – SACNAS". 20 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  5. ^ MarchForScience Iowa (2017-05-21), March for Science Iowa - Corrie Moreau Speech, retrieved 2017-06-08
  6. ^ a b Berlin, Jeremy (2018-07-23). "Meet the Woman Making Ants the Next Big Thing in Biology". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 2018-08-14.
  7. ^ a b c Wilson, Edward O (2013). Letters to a Young Scientist. W.W. Norton & Company Ltd. p. Ch.13 pp.143–147. ISBN 978-0871407009.
  8. ^ a b Simberloff, Daniel (2013). "The Passion Principle". PLOS Biology. 11 (8): e1001629. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001629. PMC 3742439.
  9. ^ "SF State Magazine: Connected to the Academy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  10. ^ "Ancient Ants Arose 140-168 Million Years Ago: Insects Needed Flowering Plants To Flourish". Science News. April 7, 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  11. ^ Moreau, Corrie; Charles D. Bell; Roger Vila; S. Bruce Archibald; Naomi E. Pierce (March 1, 2006). "Phylogeny of the Ants: Diversification in the Age of Angiosperms". Science. 312 (5770): 101–104. Bibcode:2006Sci...312..101M. doi:10.1126/science.1124891. PMID 16601190. S2CID 20729380.
  12. ^ Fountain, Henry (April 11, 2006). "Measuring for Liftoff (That First Flight Is Crucial)". New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  13. ^ Larson, Lucas (26 April 2013). "Why the tropics are an evolutionary hotbed: Ant family tree shows tropical New World hosts fast speciation while also keeping older lineages alive". Nature. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Ant Family Tree Constructed: Confirms Date of Evolutionary Origin, Underscores Importance of Neotropics". Science News. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  15. ^ Moreau, Corrie; Charles D. Bell (Aug 2013). "Testing the Museum Versus Cradle Tropical Biological Diversity Hypothesis: Phylogeny, Diversification, and Ancestral Biogeographic Range Evolution of the Ants". Evolution. 67 (8): 2240–2257. doi:10.1111/evo.12105. PMID 23888848.
  16. ^ Poulsen, Michael; Panagiotis Sapountzis (May 2012). "Behind every great ant, there is a great gut". Molecular Ecology. 21 (9): 2054–2057. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05510.x. PMID 22509766. S2CID 19262609.
  17. ^ Kautz, Stephanie; Rubin B. E. R.; Russell, J. A.; Moreau C. S. (November 2013). "Surveying the microbiome of ants: Comparing 454 pyrosequencing with traditional methods to uncover bacterial diversity". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 79 (2): 525–534. Bibcode:2013ApEnM..79..525K. doi:10.1128/AEM.03107-12. PMC 3553759. PMID 23124239. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  18. ^ a b Russell, Jacob; Moreau, C. S.; Goldman-Huertas, B. M.; Fujiwara, M.; Lohman, D. J.; Pierce, N. E. (November 2009). "Bacterial gut symbionts are tightly linked with the evolution of herbivory in ants". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (50): 21236–21241. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10621236R. doi:10.1073/pnas.0907926106. PMC 2785723. PMID 19948964.
  19. ^ "Corrie Moreau".
  20. ^ here AAAS Honors Accomplished Scientists as 2018 Elected Fellows
  21. ^ "Corrie Moreau". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  22. ^ Seedman, Alex. "15 Brilliant Women Bridging the Gender Gap in Science". Retrieved 11 January 2017.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "10 Women Scientists You Should Follow on Twitter". L'Oreal. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  24. ^ "Learn more about Corrie S. Moreau".
  25. ^ "List of Miller Fellows, by term". 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  26. ^ "Certificates of Excellence § Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning". isites.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Duplais Lab Home Page". Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  28. ^ "The Romance of Ants Exhibit at The Field Museum". 2018-04-25. Archived from the original on 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  29. ^ "The Romance of Ants" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  30. ^ Clabby, Catherine (May–June 2011). "Serious Science, Comic-Book Style: A myrmecological comic brings entomologist Corrie Moreau's journey to life". American Scientist. 99 (3): 244. doi:10.1511/2011.90.244.
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