Dakota McCoy became a Neubuaer Family Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago in 2024.
McCoy’s current research focuses on coral reefs and the symbiotic partnerships between animals and photosynthetic algae. Broadly, she is interested in physics and evolutionary conflict in many domains, from the oddities of mammalian pregnancy to colorful birds. She uses these relationships to understand topics such as what drives coral bleaching and how animals use photonic adaptations to channel sunlight towards their symbionts.
McCoy received her BS in Biology at Yale University, her MPhil in Geography and the Environment at Oxford during her time as a Rhodes Scholar, and her PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, she was a Stanford Science Fellow and NSF PRFB Fellow at Stanford University.