An uncle, husband, naturalist, and award-winning professor, Noah Whiteman was raised in northeastern Minnesota, first at the edge of Lake Superior in Duluth along southern reaches of the boreal forest and then deep in the Sax-Zim Bog.
Most Delicious Poison is Whiteman's first book and the hardcover was published in North America on October 24, 2023 by Little, Brown Spark. The book has also been published in English in North America (Little Brown Spark) ISBN: 9780316386579 and the UK & Commonwealth by OneWorld. Translated into Chinese (China South Booky Culture Media), Polish (JK Wydawnictwo), Romanian (Publica), and Spanish (Zinet Media).
He is Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & Development in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (100%) and Department of Integrative Biology (0%) at the University of California, Berkeley where he runs a basic research laboratory that studies plant-animal coevolution. Prior to joining the Berkeley faculty in 2016, he was Assistant and Association Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona.
He received a B.A. cum laude and with Distinction from Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota in 1998. In the summers during college he worked as a naturalist guide at Gunflint Lodge on the Minnesota-Ontario border and for a northern tallgrass prairie restoration project in Collegeville. He then received his M.S. in aquatic entomology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2000. For his doctoral research in tropical biology, he studied coevolution between the native birds of the Galápagos Islands and their parasites with Patty Parker, and was awarded his Ph.D. in 2006. He was Head Teaching Fellow for Animal Behavior at Harvard University in 2006 where he won the Distinguished Teaching Award. From 2007-2010 he completed a joint postdoctoral research fellowship in genetics, genomics and molecular biology at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology with Professor Naomi Pierce and at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School with Professor Fred Ausubel.
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & DevelopmentDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology (100%) Department of Integrative Biology (0%) University of California, Berkeley Email:[email protected]
EducationPostdoctoral Fellow Harvard University & Massachusetts General Hospital (2006-2010) Advisors: Naomi E. Pierce & Frederick M. Ausubel Ph.D. Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis (2006) Advisor: Patricia G. Parker M.S. Entomology, University of Missouri-Columbia (2000) Advisor: Robert W. Sites B.A. Biology cum laude with Distinction, Saint John's University, Minnesota (1998) Advisor: James Poff
Appointments2024-present Professor, Division of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & Development in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (100%) and Department of Integrative Biology (0% "over the line"), University of California, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley 2021-2024 Professor, Division of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & Development in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (50%) and Department of Integrative Biology (50%), University of California, Berkeley 2016-2021 Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 2015-2016 Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona 2010-2015 Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Awards & Honors2025 Genetics Society of America Medal 2024-2025 Miller Research Professor, Miller Institute for Basic Research, UC Berkeley 2020 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow 2020 Elected Fellow, Royal Entomological Society 2020 Elected Fellow, California Academy of Sciences 2019 Elected Full Member, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society 2016-present NIH Outstanding Investigator Award 2007-2010 NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) 2007 Harvard University Distinction in Teaching Award
Leadership & Service2023-present Senior Editor for Genome Reports, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 2022-present Advisor, Arcadia Science 2022-present Co-Director, Genetics Dissection of Cells and Organisms Training Program (GDTP), NIH T32 predoctoral grant (with Nicole King) 2023-2025 Special Advisor to the Provost on Climate and Mentoring (Co-lead, Faculty Link Program, Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare, UC Berkeley, Co-lead Serena Chen) 2021-2023 Elected to Board of Directors, Genetics Society of America 2019 Elected Vice Chair (2023) and Chair (2025), Gordon Research Conference on Plant-Herbivore Interaction 2018 Co-organizer, Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Philadelphia
Selected PublicationsTarnopol, R.L., J. Tamsil, G. Cinege, J. Ha, K.I. Verster, E. Ábrahám, L.B. Magyar, B.Y. Kim, S.L. Bernstein, Z. Lipinszki, I. Andó & N.K. Whiteman (2025). Experimental horizontal transfer of phage-derived genes to Drosophila confers innate immunity to parasitoids. Current Biology35: 514-529. Magyar, L. B., E. Ábrahám, Z. Lipinszki, R. L. Tarnopol, N. K. Whiteman, V. Varga, D. Hultmark, I Andó & G. Cinege (2025). Pore-forming toxin-like proteins in the anti-parasitoid immune response of Drosophila. Journal of Innate Immunity 17: 10-28. Chaturvedi, S., M. Escalona, M.P.A. Marimuthu, O. Nguyen, N. Chumchim, C.W. Fairbairn, W. Seligmann, C. Miller, H.B. Shaffer & N.K. Whiteman (2024). A draft reference genome assembly of California Pipevine, Aristolochia californica Torr. Journal of Heredity 115: 507–515. Guo, L., X. Qiao, D. Haji, T. Zhou, Z. Liu, N.K. Whiteman & J. Huang (2023). Convergent resistance to GABA receptor neurotoxins through plant–insect coevolution. Nature Ecology & Evolution7: 1444-1456. Verster, K.I., G. Cinege, Z. Lipinszki, L.B. Magyar, É. Kurucz, R.L. Tarnopol, E. Ábrahám, Z. Darula, M. Karageorgi, J.A. Tamsil, S.M. Akalu, I. Andó & N.K. Whiteman (2023). Evolution of insect innate immunity through domestication of bacterial toxins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 120: e2218334120. Peláez, J.N., A.D. Gloss, J.F. Ray, S. Chaturvedi, D. Haji, J.L.M. Charboneau, K.I. Verster & N.K. Whiteman (2022). Evolution and genomic basis of the plant-penetrating ovipositor: a key morphological trait in herbivorous Drosophilidae. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B289: 20221938. Matsunaga, T., C.E. Reisenman, B. Goldman-Huertas, P. Brand, K. Miao, H. Suzuki, S.R. Ramírez, & N.K. Whiteman (2021). Evolution of olfactory receptors tuned to mustard oils in herbivorous Drosophilidae. Molecular Biology and Evolution39: msab62. roen, S.C. & N.K. Whiteman (2021). Convergent evolution of cardiac-glycoside resistance in predators and parasites of milkweed herbivores. Current Biology 31: R1465-R1466. O’Connor, T.K., M.C. Sandoval, J. Wang, J.C. Hans, R. Takenaka, M. Child VI & N.K. Whiteman (2021). Ecological basis and genetic architecture of crypsis polymorphism in the desert clicker grasshopper (Ligurotettix coquilletti). Evolution 75: 2441-2459. Nabity, P.D., G.A. Barron-Gafford & N.K. Whiteman (2021). Intraspecific competition for host resources in a parasite. Current Biology 31: 1344-1350. Humphrey, P.T. & N.K. Whiteman (2020). Insect herbivory reshapes a native leaf microbiome. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4: 221-229. Verster, K.I., J.H. Wisecaver, R.P. Duncan, M. Karageorgi, A.D. Gloss, E. Armstrong, D.K. Price, A.R. Melon, Z.M. Ali & N.K. Whiteman (2019). Horizontal transfer of bacterial cytolethal distending toxin B genes to insects. Molecular Biology and Evolution36: 2105-2110. Karageorgi, M., S.C. Groen, K.I. Verster, J.M. Aguilar, F. Sumbul, A.P. Hastings, J.N. Peláez, S.L. Bernstein, T. Matsunaga, M. Astourian, G. Guerra, F. Rico, S. Dobler, A.A. Agrawal & N.K. Whiteman (2019). Genome editing retraces the evolution of toxin resistance in the monarch butterfly. Nature574: 409-412. Humphrey, P.T., A.D. Gloss, J Frazier, A.C. Nelson Dittrich, S. Faries & N.K. Whiteman (2018). Heritable plant phenotypes track light and herbivory levels at fine spatial scales. Oecologia187: 427-445. Groen, S.C., E.R. LaPlante, N.M. Alexandre, A.A. Agrawal, S. Dobler & N.K. Whiteman (2017). Multidrug transporters and organic anion transporting polypeptides protect insects against the toxic effects of cardenolides. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology81: 51-61. Groen, S.C., P.T. Humphrey, D. Chevasco, F.M. Ausubel, N.E. Pierce & N.K. Whiteman (2016). Pseudomonas syringae enhances herbivory by suppressing the reactive oxygen burst in Arabidopsis. Journal of Insect Physiology84: 90-102. Gloss, A.D., S.C. Groen & N.K. Whiteman (2016). A genomic perspective on the generation and maintenance of biodiversity in herbivorous insects. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 47: 165-187. Wiens, J.J, R.T. Lapoint & N.K. Whiteman (2015). Herbivory increases diversification across insect clades.Nature Communications 6: 8370. Goldman-Huertas, B., R.F. Mitchell, R.L. Lapoint, C.P. Faucher, J.G. Hildebrand & N.K. Whiteman (2015). Evolution of herbivory in Drosophilidae linked to loss of behaviors, antennal responses, odorant receptors and ancestral diet. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 112: 3026-3031. Gloss, A.D., D.G. Vassao, A.L. Hailey, A.C. Nelson Dittrich, K. Schramm, M. Reichelt, T.J. Rast, A. Weichsel, M.G. Cravens, J. Gershenzhon, W.R. Monfort & N.K. Whiteman (2014). Evolution in an ancient detoxification pathway is coupled with a transition to herbivory in the Drosophilidae. Molecular Biology and Evolution31: 2441-2456. Koop, J.A.H., K. DeMatteo, P.G. Parker & N.K. Whiteman (2014). Birds are islands for parasites. Biology Letters10: 20140255. Groen, S.C., N.K. Whiteman, A.K. Bahrami, A.M. Wilczek, J. Cui, J.A. Russell, A. Cibrian-Jaramillo, I.A.E. Butler, J. Rana, G.-H. Huang, J. Bush, F.M. Ausubel & N.E. Pierce (2013). Pathogen-triggered ethylene signaling mediates systemic induced susceptibility to herbivory in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell25: 4755-4766. Whiteman, N.K., A.D. Gloss, T.B. Sackton, S.C. Groen, P.T. Humphrey, R.T. Lapoint, I. Sønderby, B.A. Halkier, C. Kocks, F.A. Ausubel, & N.E. Pierce (2012). Genes involved in the evolution of herbivory by a leaf-mining drosophilid fly. Genome Biology and Evolution 4: 900-916. Whiteman, N.K., S.C. Groen, D. Chevasco, N. Beckwith, T.R. Gregory, C. Denoux, N. Mammarella, F.M. Ausubel & N.E. Pierce (2011). Mining the plant-insect interface with a leafmining Drosophila of Arabidopsis. Molecular Ecology 20: 995-1014. Whiteman, N.K., R.T. Kimball & P.G. Parker (2007). Co-phylogeography and comparative population genetics of the threatened Galápagos Hawk and three ectoparasite species: Ecology shapes population histories within parasite communities. Molecular Ecology22: 4759-4773. Whiteman, N.K., K.D. Matson, J.L. Bollmer & P.G. Parker (2006). Disease ecology in theGalapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis): Host genetic diversity, parasite load and natural antibodies. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences 273: 797-804. Whiteman, N.K. & P.G. Parker (2004). Effects of host sociality on ectoparasite population biology.Journal of Parasitology90: 939-947. Whiteman, N.K. & R.W. Sites (2003). Lentic beetles of the Missouri Prairie Region: Habitat and regional associations, with keys to the Hydradephaga. Transactions of the American Entomological Society129: 185-243.