David Sankoff

David Sankoff is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa, holding the Canada Research Chair. His research focuses on developing mathematical models for comparative genomics, including genome rearrangement analysis, probabilistic modeling of evolution, and applications to plant and microbial genomics. He has contributed extensively to computational biology, bioinformatics, and sociolinguistics.

Education: BSc, MSc, PhD (McGill University). His work bridges theoretical computer science and biological applications, addressing questions like gene order evolution, polyploid genome analysis, and evolutionary dynamics.

Research interests include mathematical genomics, algorithms for genome analysis, applied probability in biological systems, and sociolinguistic modeling. Recent work examines genome structures in legumes, coffee, and carnivorous plants, as well as evolutionary mechanisms like fractionation and speciation.

Scientific awards include the Canada Research Chair. He has supervised numerous graduate students and postdocs, contributing to projects on genome halving, phylogenetic reconstruction, and synteny analysis.