Eric Libby

Eric Libby is an Associate Professor at Umeå University's Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, affiliated with the interdisciplinary IceLab research center. His research investigates the evolution of biological complexity through mathematical modeling, focusing on origins of multicellularity, endosymbiosis, and organizational scaling across biological systems.

Research examines fundamental transitions in evolutionary history using computational approaches. Key areas include:

• Evolutionary trajectories between unicellular and multicellular states
• Endosymbiotic associations and metabolic integration
• Syntrophic microbial communities and resource exchange
• Evolutionary significance of phenotypic bet-hedging

Research has received support from multiple prestigious sources including the Swedish Research Council, NASA Astrobiology Program, and National Science Foundation. Current projects explore evolutionary constraints in complex systems and agnostic biosignature detection.

As head of the Mathematical Biology group, Libby advises doctoral candidates including Oleksandr Cherednichenko (machine learning applications in microbial recognition) and Defne Plattürk (differential equation modeling). The research group develops methodologies for studying biological complexity across scales.