Ayala, Francisco

Francisco is University Professor of Biological Sciences, professor of philosophy, and professor of logic and the philosophy of science at the University of California at Irvine. He specializes in evolutionary genetics and uses DNA to track the path and flow of evolution. Born in Spain and a former Dominican priest, he was supervised for his doctorate by the legendary Theodosius Dobzhansky. Known for his research on population and evolution genetics, Dr. Ayala has made singular contributions not only to his discipline but also to education, philosophy, ethics, religion, and national science policy. He revolutionized evolution theory by pioneering molecular biology in the investigation of evolutionary processes, leading to a new understanding of the origin of species, the pervasiveness of genetic diversity, the genetic structure of populations, and rates of evolution. His biological discoveries have opened up new approaches to the prevention and treatment of diseases, including malaria, that affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Francisco was president and chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and won the 2001 National Medal of Science.  Author of more than 800 articles and 15 books, Dr. Ayala has been called the "Renaissance Man of Evolutionary Biology" by The New York Times. Francisco’s views on science and religion are clear: “There is no way for us to know what the intentions of the Creator may have been and how things may have been done. So for a believer it is possible to believe in the existence of God, and, at the same time, accept the conclusions from science. I do not think they are in contradiction because truth cannot go against truth. But I always tell believers: Base your belief on the strong rock of your faith, not on the weak foundations of science which is always changing. Looking for support in science is always the wrong way to go….The rules of the two games, as it were, religious beliefs and theology on one hand and reality of experience and science on the other, are radically different. They are not necessarily contradictory; they are different truths. For the religious believer, no scientific discovery is going to challenge his or her strong faith. For me, as a scientist, as an evolutionary biologist, the complexity of life, the beauty of life, is very inspiring. I think people of faith can gain inspiration by looking at the world of life, and that should inspire them to think more of God and to love God.”