BARRIE D. ROBISON

// Evolution // Data Science // Video Games // Horror Fiction

I am a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Idaho, where I study evolution and adaptation using an unusual mixture of model systems. Over the course of my career, I have conducted research on the genetic basis of quantitative traits in Salmonids, behavioral genomics and adaptation to captivity in zebrafish, and the implementation of evolutionary models in video games. I taught Genomics and General Genetics for 15 years, and I now teach various courses in Data Science as part of our new Graduate Certificate in Professional Applications of Data Science.

I am the co-founder (along with Professor Terry Soule) of Polymorphic Games, an experimental video game studio that applies game development technology to scientific research and STEM education.

I am the Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences (IIDS).

Finally, I am a huge Horror and Science Fiction nerd. I am fascinated by the intersection of these genres with science, and I explore these intersections in my BLOG - Professor Polymorphic.