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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adriana Briscoe | 2/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adriana_Briscoe | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T17:45:23.688987+00:00 | kb-cron |
Briscoe's research career has been largely distinguished by her studies on the evolution of vision in butterflies. She is particularly well known for the discovery of new opsins, her application of functional approaches for the study of light-sensitive pigments which lead to color vision, and her study of the links between genetic expression of these proteins and functional behavior. Her investigations have been largely situated in the field of molecular evolution. Since her time as a graduate student at Harvard University, Briscoe has been involved with the discovery of opsins which are key in butterfly vision alongside studying the expression levels of these photoreceptors as a function of functional butterfly behavior. Her studies have also sought to elucidate the role and emergence of double gene duplication events in opsin protein expression as a function of environmental stimuli. Such double duplication events have been hypothesized to play a key role in the evolution of color vision in primates, including humans. As Briscoe herself has addressed, gene duplication and mutation events in opsins more broadly account for a large fraction of genetic changes associated with human retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa. She now works at University of California, Irvine as a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Professor Briscoe promotes intellectual inquiry and curiosity. For example, in her insect ecophysiology class of Spring 2026, she invited Indigenous artist Merced Maldonado as a guest lecturer. Maldonado explained the process of how silkmoth cocoons are used to make garments and shed light on their used within an indigenous culture, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Briscoe's career has been distinguished by the study of diverse butterfly species and international collaborations which have supported these investigations. Her recent research collaboration between her team and that of Jorge Llorente Bousequets from the UNAM-Facultad De Ciencas was particularly productive and led to the discovery that the Heliconius butterfly species differentially expresses one or two genes for an opsin photoreceptor which is uniquely sensitive to ultra-violet reflecting wing colors. This discovery was particularly significant as it demonstrated that the Heliconius butterfly had co-evolved two traits, ultra-violet photoreceptors and ultra-violet reflecting wing pigments, as an effectively private (or secure) inter-species communication channel. In the course of the investigations, Briscoe and collaborators also identified the chemical composition of the evolved pigment which, in combination with the nanostructured nature of scale cells on the butterfly wing, leads to the phenomena of UV-yellow butterfly wing coloration. Her team's continued investigations on ultra-violet opsins in the Heliconius erato butterfly have elucidated additional layers of diversification in gene expression which are linked to a butterfly's gender. Specifically, females of the species have two different UV receptors, UVRh1 and UVRh2, while males only have one (UVRh2). These studies are of particular interest towards future investigations on understanding the evolutionary mechanisms leading to the emergence of novel opsins. In the area of service to the scientific community, Briscoe served as Associate Editor for the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution from 2005 until 2012. Since 2015, she has been an editorial board member of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. She served as council member for the American Genetic Association from 2011 to 2014. She also served as an advisory board member of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCENT) from 2010 until 2012. Since beginning her independent research group in 2002, Briscoe has mentored fourteen graduate students and postdocs.
== Awards and honors ==
Elected member, National Academy of Sciences (2024) Elected member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022) Guggenheim Fellowship (2021) Scientific Advisory Board Member, Max Planck Institute (2019-2024) Distinguished Scientist Award, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) (2018) Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2017) Fellow, Royal Entomological Society (2018) Fellow, California Academy of Sciences (2018) Plenary speaker, Entomological Society of America (2017) Overseas Visiting Scholar, St. John's College, University of Cambridge (2012) James P. Holland Named Lecture, Indiana University (2011) Advisory Board Member, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCENT)(2010-2012) Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Diversity Award Burroughs Wellcome Fund Research Award (2008) Elected member, Sigma Xi (2004) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Ford Foundation (2000-2001) Predoctoral fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1993-1998)
== Select publications == Briscoe has a publication record in the areas of physiological genomics, molecular evolution, color, vision, and sensory biology. Some of her works are listed below: