Redbacks to Wrangle and Mountains to Climb

Professor Maydianne Andrade has the world’s largest captive population of black widow spiders in her lab at the University of Toronto.

Maydianne will discuss her unexpected career path, and how it all started with the puzzle of sexual cannibalism in redback spiders. Find out about the surprising link between redbacks and her work as host, cast and concept creator for nature documentaries, including one that saw her perched in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, chipping fossils out of the Burgess Shale, and another that took a tongue-in-cheek look at 'Bug Sex'.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

Event Details

About the speaker

Professor Maydianne Andrade, University of Toronto

Maydianne Andrade is an award-winning Biologist and Professor at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her research examines how social and environmental variables shape organismal traits and species diversity, with a focus on the behaviour of black widow spiders and their relatives.

Professor Andrade is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and of the Animal Behaviour Society, which presented her with an Exemplar Award for major long-term contributions to the field. A sought-after speaker, Professor Andrade was host and co-creator of a podcast on life during the pandemic lockdown (The New Normal). She prioritizes public science communication and has been involved in several nature documentaries.