Andrew Ranald Francis

Professor Andrew Ranald Francis is a mathematician affiliated with the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he began his role as a Professor of Mathematics and Head of School in May 2024. His academic journey started with a BSc (Hons I) from the University of Sydney (1994) and a PhD from UNSW (1999), followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Virginia.

• PhD, University of New South Wales, 1999
• BSc (Hons I), University of Sydney, 1994

Professor Francis applies discrete mathematics (group theory, graph theory, combinatorics) to evolutionary biology and epidemiology, particularly through phylogenetics. His work bridges pure mathematics and applied biological modeling, positioning him as an applied pure mathematician.

Notable honors include an ARC Future Fellowship (2011-2014) and leadership roles such as Deputy Dean at Western Sydney University during 2020-2023. He has also contributed to national research assessment via service on ERA panels (2015, 2018) and the ARC College of Experts (2018-2021).

Current research activities focus on algebraic models of bacterial genome evolution, mathematics of data science, and interdisciplinary collaborations with the Australian Mathematical Society and UNSW research initiatives.