Alexei Drummond
I am an evolutionary biologist, computational scientist, trail runner, rock climber, hiker, bird-watcher, environmentalist and atheist.
I am a member of the Centre for Computational Evolution at the University of Auckland, co-inventor of the academic open-source software packages BEAST 1 and BEAST 2 and co-founder of the commercial Geneious scientific software package.
I advocate open science (collegial, cooperative, equitable, transparent), including open access, open data and open source.
I have >20 years of Java programming experience and research expertise in computational biology, especially for understanding evolutionary biology, population genetics and the epidemic spread of infectious diseases through analysis of genomic diversity and related data.
I completed my BSc (1996) and PhD in Bioinformatics (2002) at the University of Auckland. I spent 3 years at the University of Oxford doing post-doctoral research in the Department of Statistics and the Department of Zoology before returning to the University of Auckland in 2005 to take up a Lecturership in Bioinformatics in the Department of Computer Science.
Specialties: Evolution, Computational biology, Java programming, Bayesian inference, Markov chain Monte Carlo, molecular evolutionary theory, biological sequence analysis, population genetics, coalescent theory, phylodynamics.
@alexeidrummond Google Citations ORCID Publons
Employment history
- Mar 2019- present, Professor of Computational Biology, School of Biological Sciences & School of Computer Science, University of Auckland
- Feb 2013- Feb 2019, Professor of Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland
- Feb 2009 – Jan 2013, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland
- Feb 2007 – Jan 2009, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland
- Nov 2006 – August 2016, Director, Biomatters Ltd
- July 2005 – Sep 2008, Chief Scientist, Biomatters Ltd
- Jul 2005 – Jan 2007, Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland
- Dec 2003 – Jun 2005, Postdoc, Evolutionary Biology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
- Jun 2002- Dec 2003, Postdoc, The Genome Analysis & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford
- Jun 2002- Dec 2003, Postdoc, Ancient Biomolecules Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
- Dec 1996 – Feb 1998, Software developer, Peace Software, Auckland, NZ
Education
- 2002, PhD in Bioinformatics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland
- 1996, BSc in Biology and Computer Science, University of Auckland, Auckland
Distinctions/Honours
- Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (highlycited.com), 2021
- James Cook Research Fellow (2020-2021), Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi, awarded 2019
- Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (highlycited.com), 2019
- Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2015
- Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (highlycited.com), 2014
- Research Medal, New Zealand Association of Scientists, 2011
- North and South New Zealander of the Year in Science, 2011
- Mitchell Prize, International Society for Bayesian Analysis, 2011 [With co-authors]
- Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, Royal Society of New Zealand, 2010
- Hamilton Memorial Prize, Royal Society of New Zealand, 2007
- Best Doctoral Thesis, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, 2002
- Society for Systematic Biology, Ernst Mayr Award, 2001
- New Zealand ACM Programming Competition Overall Champion, 1996
Posts
Ausserberg - Baltschiederklause - Eggerberg
Grade 26 (7b+ / 5.12c)
Return to Ruapehu crater lake
First national climbing competition
Sport climbing in 2020
Achievement unlocked: Grade 25 (7b / 5.12b)
An update on sport climbing progress
Sport climbing in 2019
Sport climbing at Whakapapa Gorge on the slopes of Ruapehu
Another trip to the Colosseum at Mangaokewa
Sport climbing in Squamish
Climbing trip to Mangaokewa
Rock climbing on 'Eua island, Tonga - Day 3
Rock climbing on 'Eua island, Tonga - Day 2
Rock climbing on 'Eua island, Tonga
Another day of climbing at Froggatt Edge
Climbing the Cathedral Wall at Pohara
A day of climbing at Froggatt Edge
Rock climbing at Wye Creek in Queenstown
Mt Philistine summit
Which road races in New Zealand are the fastest?
Dissecting an uninformed opinion
2018 Kerikeri Half Marathon
2018 Waiheke 10km race
PCSK9: a typical target for gene editing?
Molecular biology and evolution in New Zealand
What are the real questions about gene editing?
Reprogramming life with gene editing
2018 Coatesville 8km Classic
Can gene editing technology cure human disease?
Racing to Isthmus Peak
A year of running: 2017
Election debates should reflect New Zealand's multi-party system
2017 Waiheke 10km
Running the Tongariro alpine crossing
2017 Huntly Half Marathon
Taranaki summit
Running Torrent Bay to Awaroa, Abel Tasman National Park
S-chanf - Val Trupchun, Swiss National Park, Switzerland
Aletsch Panoramaweg - Märjelensee - Eggishorn - Bettmerhorn, Switzerland
Sunnbüel - Lämmerenhütte - Chindbettipass - Engstligenalp, Switzerland
Urnerboden - Gemsfairenstock - Claridenhütte - Linthal, Switzerland
Sulzfluh - Carschina - Liechtenstein: three countries in three days
Hike to summit of Mount Baldy, Alta, Utah
Coglio to Alpe Spluga, Switzerland
Griesalp - Hohtürli Pass - Blümlisalphütte - Oeschinensee - Kandersteg, Switzerland
Chamanna d'Es-cha - Piz Blaisun - Kesch-Hütte, Switzerland
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