John Malone is a genome and evolutionary biologist interested in how different copies of genes influence organisms and evolution. He obtained his PhD in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, then completed postdoctoral work at the National Institutes of Health and Florida State University. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institue of Systems Genomics. His work involves extensive fieldwork and collaboration with investigators in North America, Latin America, and Africa to study how variation in the copy number of genes relates to diversity, evolution, and the function of animal genomes. Through his work at the University of Connecticut, he has helped to provide outreach to the local community on the growing influence of genomics on health, family, and society. He is a member of the Global Young Academy and co-Chair of the Young Scientist Ambassador Programme, which seeks to bridge scientific gaps between developed and developing countries and involve students in international scientific projects.