Michel C. Milinkovitch

michel.milinkovitch@unige.ch
+41 22 379 33 38

Michel Milinkovitch is Full Professor in the Department of Genetics & Evolution at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). He is also a member of the Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3) since its foundation (2011) and a Group leader of the Swiss  Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB) since 2014. As an evolutionary geneticist, he contributed to quantitative analysis and modelling in Molecular Phylogenomics and Applied Evolutionary Genetics. He has developed concepts, analytical tools, and algorithms/models for multiple sequence alignments, phylogeny inference and haplotypic network building. His recent focus is on Evolutionary Developmental Genetics (Evo-Devo) and the Physics of Biology. He  specialises on non-classical model species in reptiles and mammals and integrates data and analyses from comparative genomics, molecular developmental genetics, as well as computer modelling and numerical simulations. He has published over 100 papers in international peer-reviewed journals (including Nature, Nature Communications, Science, Science Advances, and PNAS) for a cumulate impact factor of nearly 1000. He has also published 7 book chapters. He has given over 100 invited talks (as well as about 60 contributed talks/posters) all around the world. He has been reviewer for over 50 peer-reviewed international biology and physics journals (including Nature, Science, PNAS,  ACS Nano, and Soft Matter) and has served as external reviewer for academic promotions, grant proposals, and PhD committees in Europe and the USA. He has served, and is still serving, on the Editorial Board of scientific journals and has supervised 18 Ph.D. theses (six are under way). He is chair of an ERC (European Research Council) evaluation panel since 2019. Michel Milinkovitch obtained several prizes and awards both for his academic and popularisation work. He is the co-founder (November 2001) of the spin-off Delphi Genetics (www.delphigenetics.com).

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2553-0724

Google Scholar ID byH9cPoAAAAJ

Selected publications

  • Lizard Skin Patterns and the Ising Model

    Szabolcs Zakany, Stanislav Smirnov, Michel C. Milinkovitch

    Physical Review Letters 128, 48102 (2022)

  • Reaction-diffusion in a growing 3D domain of skin scales generates a discrete cellular automaton

    Fofonjka, A., Milinkovitch, M.C.

    Nature Communications 12: 2433 (2021)

  • A Living Mesoscopic Cellular Automaton Made of Skin Scales  

    Manukyan L., Montandon S.A., Fofonjka A., Smirnov S., M.C. Milinkovitch

    Nature 544, 7649: 173–179 (2017)

  • The Anatomical Placode in Reptile Scale Morphogenesis Indicates Shared Ancestry 
Among Skin Appendages in Amniotes

    Di-Poï N., M. C. Milinkovitch

    Science Advances 2, 6: e1600708 (2016)

  • Photonic Crystals Cause Active Colour Change in Chameleons


    Teyssier J., Saenko S.V., van der Marel D., M.C. Milinkovitch

    Nature Communications 6, 6368 (2015)

  • Crocodile Head Scales Are Not Developmental Units But Emerge from Physical Cracking

    Milinkovitch M.C., Manukyan L., Debry A., Di-Poï N., Martin S., Singh D., Lambert D., Zwicker M.


    Science 339, 6115: 78-81 (2013)

  • Crocodylians Evolved Scattered Multi-Sensory Micro-Organs

    Di-Poï N. & M.C. Milinkovitch

    EvoDevo 4, 19 (2013)

  • Contrasted evolution of the vomeronasal receptor repertoires in Mammals and Squamate reptiles

    Brykczynska, Tzika, Rodriguez & Milinkovitch

    Genome Biology Evolution 5, 2: 389-401 (2013)

  • 2X genomes - depth does matter

    Milinkovitch M.C., Helaers R., Depiereux E., Tzika A.C., & T. Gabaldon

    Genome Biology 11, 16 (2010)