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Faculty
David Hillis
Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor In Natural Sciences
Director, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Email: dhillis@mail.utexas.edu
Website
Main Office: PAT 132
Phone: (512) 471-5792

Alternate Office: PAT 133
Alt. Phone: (512) 471-5661

Mailing Address
The University of Texas at Austin - ICMB
1 University Station CO930
2415 Speedway
Austin ,TX 78712-1095
David Hillis

Research Summary

Evolutionary biology provides a conceptual framework for understanding patterns of molecular diversity. For instance, phylogenetic analyses have permeated most fields of molecular biology in recent years, from studies of the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency viruses to studies of the origin of life. Work in my lab is divided into two main areas: empirical studies of molecular evolution and the development of evolutionary theory and methodology. The empirical studies include experimental manipulation of viruses to study evolution in vitro, phylogenetic analyses of highly conserved genes, and studies of molecular processes that give rise to new genes or maintain the structure of multigene families. The theoretical and methodological work is centered on finding the best ways to estimate phylogenies from molecular sequences and on simulations of molecular evolution using supercomputers.