What sparked his interest in EvoDevo? What keeps him curious after all these years? And what does he hope to discover next?
🧵 Read on to get to know Michalis through his own words.
1️⃣ What first drew you to EvoDevo?
"I was educated at a time when developmental and evolutionary biology were well separated. There was a clear interest, but not the means, to break those barriers. Molecular genetics showed the way, and I was lucky to be a young PhD student when that started."
2️⃣ What scientific question excites you the most today?
"It's a quest rather than a question. Jacques Cousteau was once asked what he expected to find on his next expedition. He replied, 'If I knew, I wouldn't go.' I hope our lab can discover biology that nobody had expected."
3️⃣ What makes your research approach unique?
"We haven't followed the highways. We've opened our own paths to study development and regeneration in new species."
4️⃣ What keeps your curiosity alive?
"Curiosity isn't something you maintain. It's either there or it's not. There are things that feed it, like giving it time and sharing it with others, and things that can kill it, like bureaucracy."
5️⃣ What do you wish more people knew about science?
"I wish more people would come to the lab and look down a microscope. Science starts with fascination, followed by questions."