John Colbourne’s investigations encompass the fields of evolutionary ecology, high-throughput biology, environmental and functional genomics. From this blend of disciplines emerges a research program that centers on connecting gene expression and genome structure with individual fitness and population-level responses to environmental challenges. During this time, he helped pioneer the application of genomics for the study of evolutionary ecology and toxicology, primarily using the freshwater crustacean Daphnia as model system to study how genes and the environment interact. This work, in conjunction with the global efforts of the DGC, resulted in Daphnia’s designation as a model species for biomedical research by the US National Institutes of Health. Professor Colbourne regularly works with industry and advises government agencies and professional societies, aiming to transform practices at monitoring and protecting the environment, by utilizing high-throughput molecular biology methods applied to model systems. In 2012-13, he co-chairs the Gordon Research Conference on Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics - celebrating 10 years of community building - and was granted the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award for his contributions to the field.