Lucas Santana Souza

Lucas is an evolutionary biologist who uses mathematical models and computer simulations to investigate mechanisms leading to social evolution across biological scales.

Lucas completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), USA. During his doctoral studies, Lucas developed population genetics models and individual-based simulations to understand the effect of partial privatization on microbial evolution of cooperation in surface-attaching populations (biofilms) and cell-cell communication (quorum sensing).

Now at IceLab, Lucas focuses on a key event during the evolution of life: endosymbiosis. Despite its significance, little is known about the likelihood and adaptive consequences of acquiring an organelle like the mitochondrion. In collaboration with Eric Libby, Lucas will use a mathematical approach combined with a unique data set to address questions related to the evolution of a beneficial prokaryotic endosymbiosis.

Lucas loves coffee and sweets, making him a suitable fit for the Swedish tradition of Fika.