Christopher Wills

Christopher Wills is Professor Emeritus of Biology at UC San Diego. His research interests include molecular evolution, genetic polymorphisms in humans and other organisms, human mitochondrial evolution, the evolution of genetic recombination, the evolution of disease resistance, and the role of pathogens in the maintenance of diversity in complex ecosystems. Dr. Wills academic positions include Assistant Professor of Biology, Wesleyan University, Connecticut (1966-72), Associate Professor of Biology, UC San Diego (1972-78), Associate Professor of Biology, UC San Diego (1972-1978), and Professor of Biology, UC San Diego (1978 to present). His academic honors include an NIH postdoctoral fellowship (1965-66), Guggenheim Fellowship (1977-78), Visiting scholar, University of Oklahoma OSLEP program (1998), AAAS Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology (1999), Boyce Thompson Institute Distinguished Lecturer in the Life Sciences, Cornell University (1999), and Distinguished Lecturer in Biodiversity, University of Minnesota (2004). His book, Children of Prometheus (Basic Books, 1999), was a finalist for the 2000 Aventis Prize. He has taught introductory biology, genetics, introductory evolution, molecular evolution, medical genetics (at UC San Diego Medical School), biochemistry, and biostatistics.