Wolfgang Stephan

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stephan is a leading evolutionary biologist and geneticist at LMU Munich's Faculty of Biology. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Biophysics from the University of Konstanz (1981) and has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Maryland (1989–2000) and the University of Rochester (1999–2000). He served as Chair of the Department of Biology at LMU Munich from 2000 to 2015. His research focuses on evolutionary genetics, population genomics, and the mechanisms of natural selection, particularly in Drosophila and wild tomatoes.

Research interests include: (1) genetic basis of adaptation and speciation, (2) genomic signatures of selection, (3) host-parasite coevolution, and (4) molecular evolution of noncoding RNA structures. His work bridges theoretical models with empirical data, using computational and experimental approaches.

Key awards include the NIH Shannon Award (1991), DFG Research Unit leadership (2008–2016), and ERC Panel membership (2016–). His funding includes grants from DFG, NIH, and EU programs, focusing on topics like selective sweeps, pathogen resistance, and genomic adaptation.

Publications span over 150 peer-reviewed articles, including foundational works on hitchhiking effects and compensatory evolution. He has advised over 30 PhD students and mentored numerous postdocs, many now leading academic roles worldwide.