Evolution in a Rapidly Changing World — Dr. Sally Otto

In this conversation, I speak with Dr. Sally Otto, University Killam Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia, Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the United Kingdom's Royal Society, member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She is internationally recognized for her contributions to evolutionary biology, particularly the mathematical understanding of how evolution works. Our conversation centres on three recent research works: “Evolution of Cross-Tolerance to Metals in Yeast,” published in 2025; a research manuscript examining how population numbers can decline where genetically different populations meet; and “The Changing Status of Imperilled Species in British Columbia,” published in 2026. We discuss how organisms adapt to environmental pressures, what happens when genetically different populations come into contact, and the challenges facing species in a rapidly changing world. Through…