Katharina Huber

Katharina Huber is an Associate Professor in Computational Biology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), affiliated with the School of Computing Sciences. She currently chairs the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Boards of Examiners for the School and previously served as Director of Postgraduate Research from October 2013 to November 2023. She is a member of the London Mathematical Society since 2011 and the Computational Biology Laboratory.

Education: Katharina holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bielefeld (1997). She has held postdoctoral positions, including a Marsden Postdoctoral Fellowship at Massey University (1997–1999), and academic roles at Swedish institutions before joining UEA in 2004. She was awarded a 'docent' title by Uppsala University in 2003.

Research Interests: Katharina’s work bridges Phylogenetics, Discrete Mathematics, and Computational Biology. She focuses on developing mathematical theory and algorithms to study molecular evolution, phylogenetic combinatorics, and the analysis of combinatorial objects like cluster systems and finite metric spaces. Her recent projects emphasize algorithmic solutions for phylogenetic networks and hybridization events, as well as applying machine learning to chemical structure prediction.

Research Trends: Her recent articles reflect a strong focus on phylogenetic network reconstruction, combinatorial optimization, and computational tools for evolutionary biology. Collaborations span international institutions, and she actively engages in interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of mathematics, biology, and computer science.

Grants and Advising: Katharina leads the Huber Studentship (UKHSA/OHID, £41,603.42), focused on small molecule structure elucidation. She has supervised projects funded by the Royal Society and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She actively recruits PhD students interested in Phylogenetics and related algorithmic challenges.

Labs and Teams: She contributes to the Computational Biology Laboratory at UEA and collaborates across institutions, including Mestrelab Research S.L. and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.