Research Contribution
Bill’s research is based around testing for natural selection within and among populations.
One arm of Bill’s research considers dingo evolution. To investigate this question Bill and his team have recently sequenced the genome of a Desert Dingo (Sandy) and an Alpine Dingo (Cooinda). The team will compare these genomes from those of a Basenji (the oldest known dog breed) and a German Shepherd Dog. Biochemical, behavioural and microbiome questions will then investigate what is unique about the Australian Dingo.
The second arm of Bill’s work considers the mitochondrial genome in the fly Drosophila. The mitochondrial genome has been used extensively as a strictly neutral marker for decades but is known to be under selection. Bill and his team are studying the influence of diet and the microbiome on fly metabolism and ageing.
Professional Experience
- 2006 - present: Professor, School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW
- 2008-2013: Head of School, School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW
- 2001-2006: Professor, University of Iowa, Iowa City
- 1998-2001: Pritzker Curator, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
- 1995-1998: Assistant Curator, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
Honours & Awards
- Winner 2017 "World's most interesting genome" run by Pacific Biosciences
- Foundation Director Roy J Carver Centre for Comparative Genomics University of Iowa
- Pritzker Chair of Biosystematics Field Museum, Chicago, USA
- NSF CAREER Special Creativity Extension (The Special Creativity Extension is unsolicited and is extremely rare. It followed an NSF CAREER Grant that was ranked the highest in its round.)
- NH&MRC CJ Martin Postdoctoral Fellow