John J. Wiens is a distinguished scholar and leading authority in evolutionary biology and ecology with significant contributions to understanding global biodiversity patterns. He currently serves as Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, a position he has held since 2013, and additionally holds a professorship in the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. Prior to his appointment at Arizona, he established his research program as Associate and Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University from 2002 to 2012, following his tenure as curator of herpetology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History from 1995 to 2002. He earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995, where he focused on phylogenetic theory and the systematics of lizards, building upon his undergraduate foundation in Systematics and Ecology from the University of Kansas where he graduated summa cum laude in 1991.
Dr. Wiens has published over 200 scientific papers that have fundamentally advanced our understanding of species diversity patterns across the Tree of Life, with his work cited extensively throughout the field. His research program addresses critical questions about the origins of biodiversity, including why different habitats and regions vary dramatically in species richness and how climate change may impact biodiversity in the future. He has pioneered the application of phylogenetic approaches to large-scale ecological questions, particularly through his innovative work with reptiles and amphibians as model systems for understanding evolutionary processes. His editorial leadership as Editor-in-Chief of the Quarterly Review of Biology and service on multiple prestigious journal editorial boards has further shaped scholarly discourse in evolutionary biology, establishing him as a highly influential figure in the discipline.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Wiens has been recognized as an ISI Highly Cited Researcher for his exceptional scholarly impact and received the President's Award from the American Society of Naturalists for outstanding contributions to evolutionary biology. He continues to lead an active research laboratory at the University of Arizona that applies phylogenetic perspectives to pressing questions in evolution and ecology, with particular focus on reptiles and amphibians as windows into broader evolutionary processes. His current work integrates phylogenomics with ecological theory to address how biodiversity patterns emerge across spatial and temporal scales, while his lab remains at the forefront of investigations into species responses to environmental change. Dr. Wiens maintains his position as a rigorous systematizer whose methodical approach continues to advance our understanding of evolutionary patterns and processes across the tree of life.
