Joachim Hermisson studied physics and philosophy in Tübingen and Göttingen and did a PhD in theoretical physics before he switched to evolutionary theory. After a postdoc with GP Wagner at Yale he started his own group in Munich in 2002 with an Emmy Noether grant from the DFG. In October 2007, he was awarded a WWTF Vienna Science Chair and started his position as Professor of Mathematics and Biology at the University of Vienna. He is the initiator of the evolVienna network. His research focuses on theoretical population genetics where he combines molecular and phenotypic approaches. He is particularly interested in the evolutionary conditions for adaptation and speciation.