B.Sc., Biology, Calvin College, 2000
Ph.D., Evolutionary Biology, Auburn University, 2009

Dr. Nathan K. Lujan is the Associate Curator of Fishes at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. Nathan is an internationally recognized expert on ecology and evolution of the Amazon basin, the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystem on Earth. Nathan's research is especially focused on clarifying the taxonomy, ecological diversity, and evolutionary history of the bizarre, highly diverse catfish suborder Loricarioidei, which includes many popular aquarium fishes and the only fishes known to primarily eat wood or parasitize and ingest the blood of larger fishes. Nathan has led over 20 biodiversity inventories of remote river basins of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela, and has discovered and described over 30 new fish species. Nathan’s expeditions are often transdisciplinary and conducted in collaboration with prominent contemporary artists, such as David Brooks and Mark Dion.

Nathan's research is motivated by the urgent need to catalog, conserve, and comprehend freshwater biodiversity in the face of pervasive environmental impacts to lakes, rivers, and streams. In Canada, he has collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to map the genomic population structure of at-risk aquatic species, understand the effectiveness of Niagara Falls as a barrier to fish dispersal, and develop molecular tools for the early detection of invasive species.

Nathan has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, as well as New York Times editorials and popular articles. His research has been supported by the US National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Coypu Foundation.

Nathan's position was made possible with the generous support of the Herbert A. Fritch Family Foundation.