Hudson M. Wentzell

Hudson M. Wentzell

PhD Student
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Graduate Program in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics
University of Toronto
25 Harbord St., Toronto, ON M5S 3G5

Email: hudson.wentzell@mail.utoronto.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hudson-wentzell

Current Research

Inferring patterns of selection and investigating molecular evolutionary changes in vertebrate visual proteins using computational methods of comparative sequence analysis

Education

  • PhD, University of Toronto (Sep. 2025–present)
    • Direct-entry PhD in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    • Student in the Graduate Program in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics
  • HBSc, University of Toronto – Trinity College (Sep. 2021–Jun. 2025)
    • Genome Biology major, Fundamental Genetics and its Applications major
    • Graduated with high distinction, 4.00/4.00 cGPA

Major Awards

  • Faculty of Arts and Science Top Doctoral Fellowship (2025–present)
  • NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (2025–present)
  • DAAD RISE Germany Research Internship (2024)

Previous Research

  • Chang lab, University of Toronto (Sep. 2024–Aug. 2025)
    • Undergraduate research project (EEB498Y1) and literature review on the molecular evolution of phototransduction and visual cycle proteins in cetaceans
  • Hackauf lab, Julius-Kühn-Institut, Groß Lüsewitz (May–Aug. 2024)
    • RISE Germany research internship in the genome biology of rye (Secale cereale), facilitated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Presentations

  • Wentzell, H.M. & Chang, B.S.W. (2026). Molecular evolution of cetacean lens crystallins. Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, Toronto, ON, Canada [poster].
  • Wentzell, H.M., Xie, T., & Chang, B.S.W. (2025). Molecular evolution of cetacean phototransduction and visual cycle proteins. University of Toronto Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Undergraduate Research Fair, Toronto, ON, Canada [poster].
  • Wentzell, H.M., Xie, T., & Chang, B.S.W. (2025). Molecular evolution of cetacean visual proteins. Trinity College Undergraduate Research Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada [oral presentation].
  • Wentzell, H.M. & Hackauf, B. (2024). The private genome of rye. RISE Germany Conference, Heidelberg, BW, Germany [oral presentation].