Petar M. Pajić, Ph.D.

I am of Serbian descent — my family came to the US/Canada from the Serbian "Krajina" region during the Balkan wars in the 1990s. I was born and raised in Lackawanna, NY, just south of Buffalo, graduated from Lackawanna High School in 2011, and I am a first-generation American and college student.

Growing up, Serbian was my first language, and living close to the Serbian Orthodox Church community gave me an immersive experience of Serbian diaspora culture — everything from playing the accordion to avidly following Serbian achievements in basketball, tennis, and soccer, to cultural festivals and traditions.

Beyond my Serbian heritage, I'm deeply connected to Buffalo. I've traveled to many cities across North America and Europe, but Buffalo has always felt unique — and I'm genuinely excited about its growth in the coming decades. That enthusiasm extends to the Buffalo Bills.

Science called my name at a very young age. It challenged my tenacious nature and has kept me curious ever since. The never-ending web of complexity in evolutionary genetics — and its application to human biology and health — is what I intend to make the foundation of my life's work.