Jotun Hein

Jotun John Piet Hein, born on July 19, 1956, is a Professor of Bioinformatics at the Department of Statistics, University of Oxford.2 He is also a professorial fellow at University College, Oxford.2 His research focuses on evolutionary bioinformatics, molecular evolution, population genetics, and computational biology.14

Hein's academic journey includes:

• Lecturer at Aarhus University from 1991 to 20011
• Professor at the University of Oxford since 200115
• Former Director of the Bioinformatics Research Centre at Aarhus University, Denmark2

Hein's research interests encompass:

• Statistical alignment and sequence analysis
• Phylogenetics and population genetics
• Models of the origins of life
• Comparative biology and genomics13

Notably, Jotun Hein is the fourth son of Piet Hein, a renowned Danish scientist, mathematician, and poet. At the age of 12, Jotun proved the impossibility of the Soma cube's "Basalt Rock" construction, which was published in the puzzle's instruction manual.2

Hein has authored several influential publications, including the book "Gene Genealogies, Variation and Evolution – A Primer in Coalescent Theory" (Oxford University Press, 2005).2 His work has been widely cited in the field of bioinformatics and evolutionary biology.4