Mikhail Tikhonov

Mikhail Tikhonov is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Washington University, specializing in the theoretical physics of ecology and evolution. His research focuses on microbial ecosystems, applying statistical physics principles to understand high-diversity systems. He holds a PhD from Princeton University and a Master's from École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Professional history includes postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University (2014-2017) and Stanford University (2017-2018). His work bridges physics, ecology, and microbiology, emphasizing data-driven theoretical frameworks.

Research interests include microbial community dynamics, evolutionary biology, and the application of information theory to biological systems. He was awarded the NSF CAREER Award in 2024 for developing predictive models of microbial ecosystems.

Tikhonov collaborates with experimental microbiologists and bioinformaticians, leveraging large datasets to explore emergent simplicity in complex systems. His teaching emphasizes quantitative skills for interdisciplinary research.