Andrew Charles Oates

Andrew Charles Oates is a Full Professor and Dean of the School of Life Sciences (SV) at EPFL. He leads the Timing, Oscillation, Patterns Laboratory, which studies genetic oscillators in vertebrate embryos, particularly the segmentation clock driving somite formation in zebrafish. His research integrates molecular genetics, quantitative imaging, and theoretical modeling to understand spatiotemporal pattern formation.

Education: BSc (Honours) in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide, PhD in Molecular Biology from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and University of Melbourne. Postdoctoral work at Princeton University, University of Chicago, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. Previously held positions at University College London and the Francis Crick Institute before joining EPFL in 2016.

Roles: Dean of SV School, Director of the Institute of Bioengineering (2018–2021), President of the SV School Council, and member of the EPFL Academic Strategic Committee. Teaches courses in cell and developmental biology for engineers at EPFL.

Research Interests: Segmentation clock dynamics, genetic oscillators, embryonic timing mechanisms, morphogenesis, and the interplay between genetics and biophysics in developmental processes. Current funding includes a Swiss National Science Foundation project on heat-shock effects in segmentation.

Lab Team: Includes scientists, engineers, and biologists such as Feyza Arslan, Lucas Firouzi, and Laurel Rohde. Collaborations with institutions like UC Berkeley, Max Planck Institute Dresden, and the Francis Crick Institute.