Bio
Jay Storz is part of an international research team that studies how localized genetic adaptations can help a single species thrive across diverse environments. He discovered the yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse, the world's highest-dwelling mammal, in the Andes mountains at elevations of up to 22,110 feet. Storz's research focuses on mechanisms of adaptive phenotypic evolution. In his laboratory, he and his research team investigate how high-elevation animals have evolved the ability to survive and function in low-oxygen conditions. Storz does extensive high-elevation field research in the Andes. He is a National Geographic Explorer, a Fellow National of the Explorers Club, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He specializes in evolutionary genetics, genomics and physiology. (Updated May 2025)