Scientific papers authored by Desmond G. Higgins detailing the CLUSTAL software series rank among the top ten most highly cited publications in history. A mathematician, computer scientist, and biologist by training, he currently serves as a Professor of Bioinformatics at University College Dublin, where his work integrates statistics with the complexities of evolutionary biology and genomics.
Academic Foundation
Born in 1959, Higgins pursued his higher education at Trinity College, Dublin. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Botany in 1981. Seven years later, in 1988, he earned his PhD from the same institution. His doctoral research was specifically directed toward the numerical taxonomy of Pterygote insects, setting the stage for his subsequent transition into computational biological sciences.
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The laboratory under his direction at University College Dublin prioritizes the creation of statistical and bioinformatics instruments. Most notably, the lab developed the CLUSTAL program for multiple sequence alignment, a fundamental tool for analyzing biological sequences. Under his guidance, the facility also contributed to the initial development of T-Coffee software, originally designed in collaboration with Cedric Notredame. His research frequently employs multivariate statistics to scrutinize microarray data sets and molecular evolutionary processes, including the study of introns, promoters, and non-coding RNA.
Professional Recognition
Higgins holds a position within the Royal Irish Academy and has been acknowledged for his influence on molecular phylogeny and computational biology. In 2015, he was appointed a Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology. Subsequent honors include the Kimura Motoo Award in 2016 for advancing evolutionary biology, followed by the Benjamin Franklin Award for open access in the life sciences in 2018. Most recently, he received the Lennart Philipson Award in March 2023 for his sustained technological contributions to the field of bioinformatics.
Fast facts
- Born: 1959
- Primary Affiliation: University College Dublin
- Education: Trinity College, Dublin
- Notable Software: CLUSTAL, T-Coffee
- ISCB Fellow: 2015
- Kimura Motoo Award: 2016
- Benjamin Franklin Award: 2018
- Lennart Philipson Award: 2023
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of the CLUSTAL program?
CLUSTAL is a series of computer programs utilized for performing multiple sequence alignment.
What subjects did Higgins study during his PhD?
His doctoral research at Trinity College, Dublin, focused on the numerical taxonomy of Pterygote insects.
Achievements
- Held posts at University College Dublin
- Fields: genomics, bioinformatics and mathematics
