Ryszard Maleszka received his MSc and a PhD from the Department of Genetics, University of Warsaw and has done postdoctoral work at the National Research Council of Canada before moving to Australia in 1987. Since 1998 he has been spearheading a research theme called ‘From Molecules to Memory’ that uses invertebrate model systems to study the genotype to phenotype link, and to understand how epigenetic modifications contribute to environmentally-driven phenotypic plasticity and the maintenance of memory. He is a member of several genomic consortia and advisor to genomic databases. He has published over 100 papers including research and popular articles, reviews and book chapters.

Integration of genomic and environmental stimuli via epigenomic modifications Epigenetic mechanisms controlling behavioural development and memory storage in the brain How contrasting phenotypic and behavioural outputs are produced from the same genome.

Foret S, Kucharski R, Pellegrini M, Feng S, Jacobsen SE, Robinson GE, Maleszka R (2012) DNA methylation dynamics, metabolic fluxes, gene splicing, and alternative phenotypes in honey bees. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109:4968-4973 Lyko F, Maleszka R. (2011) Insects as innovative models for functional studies of DNA methylation.Trends in Genetics. 27:127-131 [Cover article] Lyko, F, Foret, S, Kucharski, R, Wolf, S, Falckenhayn, C, Maleszka, R (2010) The Honey Bee Epigenomes: Differential Methylation of Brain DNA in Queens and Workers. PloS Biol. 8, e1000506. Maleszka as a member of the Nasonia Genome Working Group (2010) Functional and evolutionary insights from the genomes of three parasitoid Nasonia species. Science. 327:343-348 Barron, AB, Maleszka, R, Helliwell, PG & Robinson, GE (2009) Effects of Cocaine on Honey Bee Dance Behaviour. J. Exp. Biol. 211, 163-168. Maleszka, R (2008) Epigenetic integration of environmental and genomic signals in honey bees: the critical interplay of nutritional, brain and reproductive networks. Epigenetics. 3, 188-192 Kucharski, R, Maleszka, J., Foret, S. Maleszka, R (2008) Nutritional control of reproductive status in honey bees via DNA methylation. Science. 319:1827-1830. Maleszka, R. as a member of the Tribolium Genome Sequencing Consortium (2008) The genome of the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum. Nature, 452, 949-955. Barron, A.B., Maleszka, R., Vander Meer, R. and G.E. Robinson. (2007) Octopamine modulates honey bee dance behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104, 1703-1707. Wang, Y, Jorda, M. Jones, PL, Maleszka, R, et al (2006) Functional CpG Methylation System in a Social Insect. Science. 314, 645-647. Drapeau, M.D., Albert, S., Kucharski, R, Prusko, C., Maleszka, R. (2006) Evolution of the Yellow / Major Royal Jelly Protein family and the emergence of social behavior in honeybees. Genome Res. 16, 1385-1394. [Cover article] Maleszka as a member of the Honey Bee Genome Consortium (2006) Insights into social insects from the genome of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Nature, 443, 931-949. [Cover article] Foret, S. and Maleszka, R. (2006) Function and evolution of a gene family encoding odorant binding-like proteins in a social insect, the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Genome Res. 16, 1404- 1413.