Joseph "Joe" Felsenstein (born May 9, 1942[2]) is a Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Genome Sciences and Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Closely related to his work on phylogenetic inference is his introduction of methods for making statistically independent comparisons using phylogenies.

In addition to his work in phylogenetics,[9][10][11][12] [13] Felsenstein is also noted for his work in theoretical population genetics, including studies on selection, migration, linkage, speciation, and the coalescent.

[17] In 2013 he was awarded the International Prize for Biology by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

[19] An interview covering aspects of his academic career is part of the Distinguished Faculty Interview Series [20] of the Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington.