Yun Ding

Yun Ding is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying the evolution of animal behaviors, particularly using Drosophila courtship behaviors as a model system. She integrates genetics, molecular biology, and neurobiology to investigate how genetic changes translate into differences in neural anatomy, physiology, and function. Ding's work explores the genetic and neuronal solutions that underlie the evolution of similar behavioral traits and how existing neural circuits constrain or facilitate behavioral evolution. She has published extensively in leading journals and teaches BIO231: Animal Behavior.

Yun Ding is a researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on Evolution, Behavior, Neural Circuits, and Genetics. Their work explores the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of complex behaviors and neural circuits. Ding's research includes studies on DNA methylation in ants, the origin of new genes in Drosophila, and the role of repetitive elements in gene evolution. They also investigate how genetic changes contribute to the diversification of courtship behaviors and neural circuit evolution. Their research integrates molecular genetics, genomics, and behavioral analysis to uncover the evolutionary basis of behavioral novelty and neural circuit development.