Mehrdad Hajibabaei, PhD

Dr. Hajibabaei is a global leader in environmental DNA (eDNA) science and applications. As Founder of eDNAtec Inc., he has driven the development and worldwide adoption of eDNA technologies that support industry, government and other stakeholders for environmental decision-making. He serves as Chief Scientific Officer of the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics and Professor at the University of Guelph, Canada, leading a research portfolio on the use of genomics for biodiversity assessment and monitoring and eco-evolutionary studies. Dr. Hajibabaei is a founding force behind international eDNA standardization and governance, including establishing the International eDNA Standardization Task Force (iESTF) and the International Workshop on Environmental Genomics (IWEG). He has also served as the international liaison and steering committee member for Government eDNA Working Group (GEDWG). Through these efforts, he plays a central role in shaping global frameworks for the responsible and scalable use of eDNA.