Rees Kassen is Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Scientific Director of the Coronavirus in the Urban Environment () initiative. After completing his PhD in 2001, Rees did postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford, then joined the University of Ottawa in 2003. He moved to ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ in 2023. In addition to research and teaching, Rees is active at the interface between science, society, and policy, serving as Director of the Trottier Institute of Science and Public Policy at ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ.