Lauren Sallan — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Heads the Macroevolution Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST).
Previously served as the Martin Meyerson Assistant Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Selected as a TED Fellow in 2017 and became a TED Senior Fellow in 2019.
Her two TED Talks on mass extinction and life's evolution have garnered almost 3 million views as of 2022.
A paleobiologist and ichthyologist, she studies macroevolution using big data analytics.
Her research has been published in high-profile venues including Science, Nature, PNAS, and Current Biology.
Holds a PhD in Integrative Biology from The University of Chicago.

Biography

Lauren Sallan is an American academic and paleobiologist who leads the Macroevolution Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). In this role, she builds an international team of cross-disciplinary scientists to investigate the evolution of oceans and the origins of fish biodiversity. Her research focuses on macroevolution, examining how environmental change, global events, ecological interactions, and key traits have shaped biodiversity over long timescales.