February, 2026
Event Details
Darwin Day 2026: Understanding the Diversity of Life Through the Lens of Evolution
When:
Thursday, February 12, 2026 | 14:15 – 20:00
Where:
DC-7th level auditorium – Aghia Paraskevi Campus
Organized by:
Department of Science and Mathematics – The American College of Greece
About the event
On Charles Darwin’s birthday, we join events around the world to celebrate Darwin’s contributions, our understanding of the fact of Evolution, and scientific thinking in general. This exciting, open and free event will feature talks accessible to everyone, taking us from the origins of the first cells to the astounding diversity of complex life on Earth today. The speakers are top experts from the Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, the Natural History Museum of Basel, the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Crete and the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, together with scientists from the Science and Mathematics Department of the ACG. Come learn and discuss about evolution and biodiversity in a friendly and informal atmosphere!
Agenda/Program
14:15-14:30
Welcome note and opening remarks
Dr Vasiliki Koutsouveli Part-time instructor, Deree – The American College of Greece
14:30-14:50
“Evolution by natural selection: the greatest innovator of all”
Dr Nikolaos Vakirlis
Group Leader, Hellenic Pasteur Institute and part-time instructor, Deree – The American College of Greece
14:50-15:30
“Snail evolution, climate and Deep Time: from Earth’s Hothouse to Icehouse”
Dr Danae Thivaiou
Researcher, Department of Geosciences, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, Basel, Switzerland
15:30-15:50
“Searching for the Deep Time origins of Darwin’s living fossils: a paleontological perspective”
Dr Thodoris Argyriou
Assistant Professor, Deree – The American College of Greece
15:50-16:10
Coffee break
16:10-16:30
“Searching for the Deep Time origins of Darwin’s living fossils: a paleontological perspective”
Dr Michalis Valahas
Assistant Professor, Deree – The American College of Greece
16:30-17:10
“Evolution of the Cell: from bacteria to neurons”
Dr Alexandros Pittis
Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH)
17:10-18:10
KEYNOTE TALK: Evolution of animal sexual reproduction: a perspective from sponges
Dr Ana Riesgo
Tenured Researcher – PI, Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid, Spain
18:10-20:00
Discussion and Networking
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Ana Riesgo
Tenured Researcher – PI, Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid, Spain
Dr. Ana Riesgo is a marine biologist and evolutionary zoologist whose research focuses on the origin and evolution of animal diversity, with a particular emphasis on sponges (Porifera). She graduated from the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain), and then obtained her doctoral degree at the University in Barcelona. She did several postdocs at University of Alberta in Canada and Harvard University in the US, until she landed a permanent position at the Natural History Museum in London. After 5 years, she moved to the Natural Sciences Museum in Madrid, where she now leads a laboratory studying evolution and ecology in marine invertebrates. She combines omics techniques, developmental biology, and molecular ecology to address fundamental questions about early animal evolution, symbiosis, and morphological innovation. Her work has significantly contributed to resolving sponge evolutionary relationships, understanding the evolution of key traits such as skeletons and reproductive strategies, and clarifying the role of microbial associations in sponge biology. Dr. Riesgo has led and participated in numerous national and international research projects and oceanographic expeditions, and her work is widely recognized for bridging classical zoology with modern genomic approaches.
Invited Speakers
Dr. Alexandros Pittis
Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH)
Dr. Alexandros Pittis has been a group leader (Researcher C) at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB-FORTH) since early 2024, where he leads the Comparative Genomics Lab. He earned his Biology degree from the University of Athens and completed his Ph.D. at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, under the supervision of Toni Gabaldon. Dr. Pittis’s postdoctoral work includes positions at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the University of British Columbia as an EMBO fellow, the Berlin Institute for Advanced Studies (WIKO) as a fellow of the College for Life Sciences, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) as a Research Associate. His research interests encompass computational biology, protein family evolution, and genomics, with a focus on the molecular complexity and diversity of eukaryotic cell types, and the animal nervous system.
Dr. Danae Thivaiou
Researcher, Department of Geosciences, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Dr. Danae Thivaiou is a paleobiologist, specialist of Cenozoic molluscs. She studied Biology at the Sorbonne University (formerly Pierre et Marie Curie Paris VI) and specialized in Paleontology through master’s programs on Systematics, Evolution, Paleontology (Sorbonne University and Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France) and Stratigraphy and Paleontology (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece). Her doctoral research focused on molluscs, including their taxonomy, biogeography, and diversity through time, themes that are still central in her research. Since 2023, she has been Curator of Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Basel, Switzerland, Department of Geosciences, becoming the first woman to hold this position at the institution.
Short Talks
Dr. Thodoris Argyriou
Assistant Professor, Department of Science and Mathematics, Deree – The American College of Greece
Dr. Nikolaos Vakirlis
Group Leader, Hellenic Pasteur Institute and part-time instructor, Deree – The American College of Greece
Dr. Michalis Valahas
Assistant Professor, Department of Science and Mathematics, Deree – The American College of Greece
The event is free and open to the public.
For further clarifications, please contact [email protected]