David Haig

David Haig is a prominent evolutionary biologist and geneticist who currently serves as the George Putnam Professor of Biology at Harvard University.13 Here are some key details about his background and work:

Academic Career

David Haig received his B.Sc. in biology with First Class Honors from Macquarie University in Australia.1 After briefly leaving academia to work various jobs, he returned to complete his Ph.D. in biology at Macquarie University.1 He then pursued postdoctoral research at Oxford University before joining Harvard University, where he has been a faculty member since the 1990s.13

Research Focus

Haig's research interests are broad and varied, encompassing:

• Evolutionary theory
• Genetic conflicts within organisms
• Genomic imprinting
• Maternal-fetal conflict in human pregnancy
• Evolution of plant life cycles13

He is particularly known for his work on intragenomic conflict and parent-offspring conflict.2 Haig developed the kinship theory of genomic imprinting, which has been a major contribution to evolutionary biology.2

Notable Works

• Author of "Genomic Imprinting and Kinship" (2002)2
• Author of "From Darwin to Derrida: Selfish Genes, Social Selves, and the Meanings of Life" (2020)2
• Published numerous influential papers in journals like Science, Nature Reviews Genetics, and Current Biology13

Honors and Recognition

• Awarded the Dobzhansky Prize in 19951
• Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 20104

David Haig is highly regarded in his field, with over 20,000 citations of his work according to Google Scholar.5 His research has significantly advanced our understanding of genetic conflicts and their evolutionary implications.