He is originally from Freiburg (Germany), where he also studied Biology between 2004 and 2008. During his diploma thesis, he investigated the development of the dopaminergic system in zebrafish in the lab of Wolfgang Driever. For his doctoral studies, he moved to Basel, Switzerland, and joined the lab of Filippo Rijli. In his Ph.D. he studied how transcription factors and epigenetic factors control the development of neural circuitry in the mouse brain. He was awarded his Ph.D. by the University of Basel in 2013. For his postdoc, he switched gears and joined the lab of Axel Meyer at the University of Konstanz to study the molecular and genomic basis of adaptation and speciation. In January 2021 he joined the Institute of Biotechnology as Group Leader. Since May 2023 he is an Associate Professor with the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) and the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
His research at the University of Helsinki investigates the molecular, developmental, and genomic bases of phenotypic diversification with a particular focus on the evolution of coloration in cichlid fishes. Achieving an integrative understanding of fundamental biological phenomena across levels of biological complexity is central to his research.
More information and social media:
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Contact (in English or German):
claudius.kratochwil@helsinki.fi | +358 50 341 2430 | Biocenter 2, Room 6028b