Prof. Shafer previously studied the molecular mechanisms of lineage specification and stem cell division in prostate and urogenital systems (MSc Western University, PhD McGill University). During his postdoc, he transitioned into studying the genomics and evolution of brains and behaviour. At Harvard University, he developed techniques to perform comparative neurobiology with single-cell RNA-sequencing and discovered mechanisms driving cellular diversity across species in the vertebrate brain. He then moved to the University of Basel where he began work on the evolution of sleep in African Rift Lake cichlid fishes. Max is now an assistant Professor in the Department of Cell & Systems Biology at the University of Toronto.
Website: https://csb.utoronto.ca/faculty/maxwell-shafer/