Professor Emeritus Dr. Laurent Excoffier stands as a preeminent scholar in population genetics and computational evolutionary biology, renowned for his transformative methodological contributions to the field. He served as Professor of Population Genetics at the University of Bern from 2001 to 2025, where he established a distinguished research program integrating theoretical models with empirical genomic data analysis. Concurrently, he led a research group at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics from 2008 to 2025, creating a vital bridge between theoretical population genetics and cutting-edge computational approaches. His career has been defined by rigorous mathematical frameworks that have redefined how researchers analyze genetic variation across diverse biological systems.
Excoffier's groundbreaking methodological innovations have fundamentally reshaped population genomic analysis, with his computational tools becoming standard practice for investigating population structure, demographic history, and evolutionary adaptation. His influential work on the accumulation of deleterious mutations during range expansions provided critical insights into evolutionary dynamics and genetic load across species boundaries. The sophisticated analytical frameworks he developed for detecting gene subnetworks under selection have been widely adopted by researchers studying adaptive evolution in complex biological pathways. His extensive publication record of over 150 scholarly contributions demonstrates sustained impact across evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, and medical genomics applications.
Beyond his technical contributions, Professor Excoffier has been instrumental in mentoring generations of population geneticists and fostering international scientific collaborations that have advanced the field globally. His service on the Research Council Division III for Biology and Medicine at the Swiss National Science Foundation from 2018 to 2024 highlights his leadership in shaping national research priorities and funding strategies. As an emeritus professor, he continues to influence the discipline through ongoing scholarly activities and participation in major scientific initiatives. His enduring legacy encompasses methodological innovations that remain foundational to contemporary studies of genetic diversity, evolutionary processes, and the genomic basis of adaptation across the tree of life.
