Dr. Werren's area of interest is evolutionary genetics. His research combines genetic, molecular, and population studies to investigate a variety of topics in evolution. Current research topics include: (1) evolution of inherited microorganisms, (2) genetic basis of morphological and behavioral differences between species, and (3) genetic conflict and the evolution of "parasitic" or "selfish" DNA. Interests: Evolutionary genetics, genomics, and proteomics. The unifying theme is how interacting elements shape systems at different levels of biological organization. A current research project focuses on combining computational and molecular evolutionary approaches to investigate protein function and protein-protein interactions relevant to biology and disease. Other research topics include the genetics of speciation, nuclear-mitochondrial coevolution, microbe-host interactions, and parasitism across biological levels.