Michel Chapuisat

Michel Chapuisat is an Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne's Department of Ecology and Evolution (Faculty of Biology and Medicine). He leads the Chapuisat Group, researching evolutionary biology with a focus on social behavior in ants. His work integrates genomics, behavioral ecology, and field experiments to study supergene evolution, hybridization, and supercolony formation in Formica species.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Zoology, University of Lausanne (1992-1997)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, La Trobe University (1998-1999)

Research Focus: Chapuisat investigates the genomic basis of social polymorphism in ants, including supergene-controlled social organization, maternal-effect killing mechanisms, hybridization barriers, and supercolony evolution. His lab combines genomic analyses with behavioral experiments in natural populations.

Advising: He mentors 41+ graduate students and has supervised 17 PhD students to completion. Key collaborations include researchers at the University of British Columbia and field studies across Swiss alpine regions.