| Principal Investigator: |
Dr. Christoph Adami
adami@krl.caltech.edu
|
Background:
B.S. (Physics) University of Bonn, 1982
Diplom (Theoretical Physics) University of Bonn, 1988
M.A. (Physics) SUNY at Stony Brook, 1988
Ph.D. (Theoretical Physics) SUNY at Stony Brook, 1991
Research Interests:
Dr. Adami's interests have evolved from high-energy theoretical physics,
over nuclear physics, to the foundations of quantum mechanics and
quantum information theory, while at the same time
developing the Avida Artificial Life system and studying simple living
systems and their evolution. His main interest lies in the evolution of
complexity in simple systems and the molecular mechanisms enabling this
trend, as well as on the application of information-theoretic methods to
molecular evolution and sequence data. He is the author of the textbook
"Introduction to Artificial Life".
|
| Postdoctoral Scholar: |
Dr. Claus Wilke
wilke@caltech.edu
|
Background:
PhD (University of Bochum, 1999)
Research interest:
I am interested in theoretical population genetics. In particular, I am
working on a synthesis between classical methods of population genetics and
more recent concepts such as the quasispecies concept or the evolution over
networks of neutral genotypes in a background of deleterious mutations. I use
digital organisms and simulated RNA evolution as tools to verify existing or
new theories, and to discover effects that cannot be described with current
theories.
|
| Graduate Students: |
Stephanie Chow
steph@caltech.edu
|
Second-year graduate student
|
|
Evan Dorn
dorn caltech.edu
|
Sixth-year student in Computation and Neural Systems
Background:
B.S. in Engineering, B.A. in Biology, Swarthmore College, 1997.
Research Interests / Projects:
I am studying the application of digital life techniques to the field of Astrobiology.
Specifically, I am interested in using the Avida system to study how certain types of biomarkers (indicators of life, such as chemical
signatures) are formed in a non-earth-centric evolutionary system.
|
|
Robert Forster
forster@its.caltech.edu
|
Fifth-year student in Physics
Background:
Harvard/Wall Street
Research Interests / Projectcs:
Evolutionary biology, information theory, theory of computation, astrophysics
Project: applications of the quasispecies concept to RNA viruses
|
|
D. Allan Drummond
drummond@its.caltech.edu
|
First-year Graduate Student
|
|
Alan Hampton
hampton@its.caltech.edu
|
Graduate Student
|
|
Graeme Smith
graeme@its.caltech.edu
|
Graduate Student
|
|
Jesse Bloom
bloom@its.caltech.edu
|
First-year Graduate Student in Chemistry
Background:
BS in Biochemistry (University of Chicago), MPhil in Theoretical Chemistry
(Cambridge University)
Research Interests:
Biophysics and the evolution and regulation of complex
systems in biology.
|
| Members at Large: |
| Dr. Charles Ofria |
charles@alife.org |
|
Kaben Nanlohy
kaben@poofygoof.com
|
Background:
Programmer at large who may one day apply to Caltech.
Research Interests / Projects
Kaben is developing the Avida graphic user interface
|
| Associates: |
| Dr. Richard Lenski |
lenski@msu.edu |
| Daniel Wagenaar |
wagenaar@caltech.edu |
| Paulo R. A. Campos |
prac@if.sc.usp.br |
| Viviane de Oliveira |
| Members Emeriti: |
| Tracy Teal |
tracyt@caltech.edu |
| Travis Collier |
travc@alife.org |
| C. Titus Brown |
brown@krl.caltech.edu |
| Dr. Johan Chu |
jchu@cco.caltech.edu |
| Grace Hsu |
avariel@ugcs.caltech.edu |
| Dr. Michael Haggerty |
mhagger@alum.mit.edu |
