C Anthony Poole

C. Anthony Poole, PhD, is a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland and director of its Bioinformatics Institute. His research investigates major questions in molecular evolution, including the origins and early evolution of life, genome organization, RNA biology, and the emergence of cellular complexity. He combines comparative genomics, bioinformatics, and evolutionary theory to study how biological systems developed and diversified. His academic work spans research, teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public communication about evolution, genetics, and the use of computational methods to understand living systems.