SFI postdoctoral fellow Kaleda Denton has been recognized by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology as the runner-up for the 2025 John Maynard Smith Prize for outstanding young biologists.
Denton studies the relationship between genetic and non-genetic factors in evolution, interrogating how genes and culture are entangled within the context of organisms’ behaviors such as cooperation, learning, and innovation. Denton’s research on conformity within social systems was published in PNAS this year, and she co-organized a micro working group at SFI in March, on the population dynamics of moose and wolves in Isle Royale National Park.
“This recognition means a lot to me because Maynard Smith’s work has greatly inspired my own thinking and research,” says Denton. Maynard Smith, with collaborator Eörs Szathmáry, introduced the idea of major evolutionary transitions — milestones in the development of complex biological systems, which Denton has applied in her own research. “It is wonderful to have my research recognized and featured by a biological society. My work is interdisciplinary and falls somewhat outside of the mainstream of biological sciences.”