The dean of Life Science School, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his colleague visited Yunnan University from November 7 to 10, after being invited by a researcher from the university’s Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Victoria L. Sork, dean of the School of Life Science, UCLA and Assistant Professor Sorel Fitz-Gibbon gave lectures on "Evolutionary and ecological genomic studies of California oaks using a new oak genome assembly" and "Landscape genomics of natural populations" respectively.

Professor Sork explained the systematic research results achieved in his laboratory in the past years and the evolutionary genomics and ecological genomics research on California oak, educating the audience on the research thinking and methods from raising a scientific question to solving scientific problems.   

Victoria L. Sork and Sorel Fitz-Gibbon also introduced further recent data analysis methods and principles of landscape genomics, enlightening the audience on in-depth data mining.   

Researchers and graduate students from the Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University explained their research projects and progress to the guests. The guests seemed to appreciate the projects and spoke highly of them, while also providing advices on how to improve them. 

Researcher Li Qingjun introduced YNU's construction situation under the 'double first-class' plan and the laboratory’s developing goals. He also exchanged his views regarding subject building with Professor Sork and Assistant Professor Fitz-Gibbon.

The term "double first-class" refers to "world-class university" and "world-class discipline", which were approved by China's deepening reform lead group in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

During the visit, Professor Sork inspected the species and distribution of fagaceae plants in the fields around Kunming city.

Professor Sork got his Doctor degree of Philosophy in Biology at University of Michigan and has been engaging in evolutionary ecology research for more than 30 years, while publishing over 100 papers. He is a renowned scientist in the field of landscape genomics and a senior editor for Molecular Ecology, the prestigious international journal on evolutionary ecology.

Professor Sork was elected as a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2004, a member of California Academy of Sciences in 2015 and has been serving as the dean of UCLA Life Science School since 2009.