Kenneth De Baets is a paleobiologist. He has a MSc. degree in Geology from Ghent University and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Zürich. He currently has a teaching position at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. His main research focuses on macroevolution, particularly on the relative contributions of biotic interactions (e.g., parasitism) and abiotic factors (e.g., climate) in driving these large-scale patterns. Invertebrates, particularly molluscs and parasitic flatworms, are his main research subjects for these purposes. The evolution of parasitism across the metazoan tree of life is currently one of his main research focuses.