Developmental Biologist To Give Spring 2025 Distinguished Scientist Lecture

On Monday, February 24, at 7 p.m. in Chapman Auditorium, Thomas Sanger, Ph.D., will present the Spring 2025 Distinguished Scientist Lecture titled “The Science of Sexual Diversity: Cutting Through the Noise.”

Trinity University's Distinguished Scientist Lecture Series brings pioneering U.S. and international scientists to campus to speak about their studies. This lecture is free and open to the public, and no registration is required.

Although scientific achievements have greatly advanced our quality of life, Sanger argues that we live in a time where scientific literacy and trust in scientists are slipping. Although much research has focused on the biological basis of sex and sexual differentiation, this topic has become controversial in some circles. Sanger believes the science of sex is being misused, misinterpreted, and wrongly applied.

In his lecture, Sanger will discuss the biological basis of sexual diversity in humans and other animals. By using examples from across animals, he will demonstrate that the natural spectrum of sexual traits in humans represents an incredibly thin fraction of the incredible sexual diversity observed in nature. Along the way, he will share proven communication strategies that can help us all communicate difficult scientific topics to a broader audience.

Thomas Sanger is a developmental biologist and biology professor at Loyola University Chicago (LUC). He teaches courses on sex diversity and determination and evolutionary and developmental biology.

Sanger is fascinated by the striking diversity in size, shape, and color of modern vertebrates. He runs a research lab at LUC that strives to create a deeper understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the diversity of their anatomical form. The lab currently aims to understand the developmental bases of the adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards by integrating developmental information with patterns of morphological and ecological diversity in a rigorous phylogenetic framework. In recent years, Sanger’s team has also begun to analyze other amniote taxa, such as geckos and mammals. The team currently has four active research foci: heads, climate change, toe pads, and mammalian feet. To read more about Sanger’s research, visit his website.

The Trinity University Distinguished Scientists Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment gift from the Walter F. Brown Family of San Antonio.