Milocco lab

Welcome!

The Milocco Lab is based at the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University and SciLifeLab.

We study how development shapes evolution using mathematical, computational, and data-driven approaches. Our goal is to understand and predict how biological systems generate variation and evolve over time.

Research interests

How has evolution generated the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth? At the heart of this question lies evolvability—the ability of organisms to generate variation. We are interested in understanding what determines evolvability and how we can use this understanding to predict evolution.

To understand evolvability, we focus on development—the dynamic process by which variation in genetic and environmental factors gives rise to differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior. By applying computational and mathematical tools of dynamical systems theory to development, we aim to uncover the principles that govern evolvability and shape the evolutionary potential of organisms.

About the PI

Lisandro Milocco

I am Lisandro Milocco, an evolutionary biologist from Neuquén, Argentina, now based in Stockholm, Sweden.

I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University and a DDLS Fellow at SciLifeLab.

Join Us

We welcome motivated students and postdocs interested in evolutionary-developmental biology, mathematical and computational modeling, quantitative genetics and dynamical systems. Informal inquiries are always encouraged!

News

01/03/2026: Excited to announce open postdoc positions in the lab!
18/02/2026: Grateful to have shared our work at the Career & Science Seminar Series at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany.
19/11/2025: Enjoyed connecting with colleagues and presenting at the Biocontrol Workshop 2025.
09/09/2025: New paper out!
01/09/2025: Welcome Christoph Netz as a postdoc to the lab!
25/08/2025: Excited to announce an open PhD position in the lab!
24/07/2025: Thrilled to present at the Latin American Conference for Evolutionary Biology in Tucumán, Argentina.
01/05/2025: We welcome Pascal Hagolani as a postdoc to the lab!
26/03/2025: Had a great time discussing the (un)predictability of evolution in Zurich at the Uncertainty Seminar Series.
01/01/2025: Our lab at Stockholm University and SciLifeLab has officially started! Stay tuned for open positions very soon.

See all

Publications

2025

Evolvability: progress and key questions
Guillaume, F., Haaland, T., Hallgrímsson, B., Hansen, T.F., Holstad, A., Houle, D., Hunt, G., Isaksen, A., Milocco, L., Mubalegh, N., Nuño de la Rosa, L., Orzack, S.H, Porto, A., Reid, J.M., Sztepanacz, J.L, Undheim, E., Villegas, C., Voje, K.L., Walling, C. & Wright, J. BioScience [DOI]

2024

Utilizing developmental dynamics for evolutionary prediction and control
Milocco, L. & Uller, T. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [DOI][PDF]

The paradox of predictability provides a bridge between micro- and macroevolution
Tsuboi, M., Sztepanacz, J., De Lisle, S., Voje, K. L., Grabowski, M., Hopkins, M. J., Porto, A., Balk, M., Pontarp, M., Rossoni, D., Hildesheim, L. S., Horta-Lacueva, Q. J. B., Hohmann, N., Holstad, A., Lürig, M., Milocco, L. , Nilén, S., Passarotto, A., Svensson, E. I., Villegas, C., Winslott, C., Liow, L. H., Hunt, G., Love, A. C. & Houle, D. Journal of Evolutionary Biology [DOI]

Twenty years on from Developmental Plasticity and Evolution: middle-range theories and how to test them
Uller, T., Milocco, L. Isanta-Navarro, J., Cornwallis, C.K. & Feiner, N. Journal of Experimental Biology [DOI]

2023

A data‐driven framework to model the organism–environment system
Milocco, L. & Uller, T. Evolution & Development [DOI][PDF]

2022

A method to predict the response to directional selection using a Kalman filter
Milocco, L. & Salazar-Ciudad, I. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [DOI][PDF]

Evolution of the G Matrix under Nonlinear Genotype-Phenotype Maps
Milocco, L. & Salazar-Ciudad, I. The American Naturalist [DOI][PDF]

2020

Is evolution predictable? Quantitative genetics under complex genotype-phenotype maps
Milocco, L. & Salazar-Ciudad, I. Evolution [DOI][PDF]