Powered by a deep love for dogs and a passion for understanding everything about them, Dr. Adam Boyko has spent the last decade learning all he could about dogs – how did they first get humans to fall in love with them, how did humans and dogs change each other in the years since then, and how can we best care for our furry family members? His pioneering work revealed an origin of the domestic dog near Central Asia over 15,000 years ago, and contributed to the history of dog populations around the globe. 

Dr. Boyko is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and received an MS in Computer Science and a PhD in Biology from Purdue University before his postdoctoral work at Cornell University and Stanford University. Dr. Boyko is currently an associate professor in Biomedical Sciences at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, focused on the genomic investigation of dogs. Not only hasDr. Boyko’s research addressed the fundamental questions of dog evolution and history, his lab has also uncovered the genetic basis for many dog diseases and traits. 

Dr. Boyko has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, including research in Nature, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Dr. Boyko Co-Founded Embark to bring cutting-edge science and insights directly to pet owners, breeders, and veterinarians.