Dr. Richard Edward Green is a distinguished computational biologist whose pioneering contributions to paleogenomics have fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human evolutionary history. As Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California Santa Cruz, he directs cutting-edge research at the forefront of ancient DNA analysis and computational genomics. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 1972, he earned his undergraduate degree in Genetics from the University of Georgia in 1997 before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eritrea. He completed his doctoral studies in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley in 2005 under Steven Brenner, authoring numerous computational biology papers that established his early expertise in genomic analysis.
Dr. Green's landmark achievement came as leader of the Neandertal Genome Sequencing Consortium, which successfully reconstructed the genome of our closest extinct human relative from 38,000-year-old bones, revealing unprecedented insights into human evolutionary history. Published in Science in 2010, this groundbreaking work received the Newcomb Cleveland Prize as the journal's most significant paper that year and has accumulated over 47,000 citations, fundamentally altering our understanding of human evolution by revealing multiple instances of interbreeding between Neanderthals, Denisovans, and early modern humans. He pioneered innovative techniques for DNA sequencing, including the first method to sequence DNA from rootless hair, which has revolutionized forensic genomics and solved numerous cold cases through his company Astrea Forensics. His research continues to refine demographic models of human evolution while identifying adaptive changes that distinguish modern humans from our archaic ancestors.
As Co-director of the UCSC Paleogenomics Lab and Faculty Director for QB3 at UC Santa Cruz, Dr. Green has established his institution as a global epicenter for ancient DNA research and genomic innovation. His work bridges computational biology, anthropology, and forensic science, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that have expanded the applications of genomics across multiple scientific domains. Recognized with prestigious awards including the Sloan Research Fellowship, Searle Scholarship, and Kavli Scholar, he has mentored numerous students and researchers who have gone on to establish independent careers in evolutionary genomics. Currently directing multiple research initiatives that integrate ancient DNA with modern genomics, Dr. Green continues to advance our understanding of human evolutionary history while developing innovative applications for genomic technologies in both scientific and forensic contexts.
