Jason Munshi-South, PhD

Munshi-South is an expert in urban ecology as well as evolutionary biology. His studies include the genetic adaptation of wildlife—particularly rodents—to urban environments, but his lab has branched out to study many different organisms in multiple cities in recent years..

The Betz Endowed Chair of Ecology and professor in the BEES department, Munshi-South’s research is dedicated to understanding how wildlife respond and even adapt to urban environments created by humans. He has carried out research to understand how rodents, salamanders, coyotes and other organisms navigate a diverse mix of urban green spaces and concentrated human development.

Munshi-South, who teaches courses in population genetics, evolution, and urban ecology, engages in outreach through the media, popular writing and other venues to bring knowledge of urban ecology and evolution to the general public. He has been interviewed by the New York Times and the New Yorker, among other publications. Munshi-South’s research was also discussed in a WHYY “Studio 2 Extra”, where he was interviewed about a surprising link between rats and human history.

Munshi-South earned an A.B. degree in Biology from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. He joined the Drexel faculty in 2024 after a 17-year stint in New York City at CUNY-Baruch College and Fordham University.