Christophe Duplais
Director of Science Research Support, Division of Science
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 212-769-5107
Christophe Duplais is a chemist whose research connects chemistry, ecology, and evolution. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in France, then pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before joining the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in 2012.
Based in French Guiana, he developed an interdisciplinary research program investigating the chemistry of tropical organisms (plants, insects, microbes) and their ecological interactions. In 2021, he joined Cornell University and became Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology and a Courtesy Associate Professor in Chemistry and Chemical Biology. His work at Cornell involves agricultural chemistry and the development of chemical ecology-based approaches for sustainable pest management.
In 2026, he joined the American Museum of Natural History as Director of Science Research Support, overseeing the Institute for Comparative Genomics, the Microscopy and Imaging Facility, the Southwestern Research Station, and AMNH Scientific Publications.
Education
- Cergy Paris University, PhD, 2008
- Cergy Paris University, MSc, 2004
- École Supérieure de Chimie Organique et Minérale, MSc, 2004
Research Interests
Our research program studies organismal chemistry through the lenses of chemical ecology and evolution, with a particular interest in how chemical traits originate, diversify, and mediate interactions among organisms. Our research focuses on three major classes of chemical traits, toxins, pigments, and pheromones, and investigates their structural diversity, biological functions, and evolution.
By integrating natural products chemistry, analytical chemistry, metabolomics, ecology, and evolutionary biology, our group explores questions ranging from the evolution of chemical defenses and mechanisms of toxin resistance and sequestration to the diversification of animal coloration and chemical communication.