This talk has two complementary aims. The first part provides a self-contained and accessible introduction to (evolutionary) game theory, focusing on some key tools used to describe the dynamics of strategies in adaptive populations. In the second part, I explore a counterintuitive question: why might evolutionary processes favour seemingly suboptimal learning rules? To this end, I present a...
Direct reciprocity is a central mechanism for the evolution of cooperation, yet most theoretical results rely on simplifying assumptions about information, interaction structure, and evolutionary dynamics. In this talk, I revisit direct reciprocity by analysing how relaxing these assumptions affects evolutionary outcomes. Building on recent work, I study settings in which agents have access to...
Human and non-human animals form structured social systems in which individuals interact preferentially within groups shaped by environmental structure, movement, and social preferences. To study how structure and mobility affect collective behaviour and the evolution of cooperation, we consider a model in which individuals move across nodes of a spatial network representing interaction sites...
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is the most common peripheral lymphoma in children, with ~95% of pediatric cases driven by oncogenic ALK mutations [1, 2]. Although ALK inhibitors initially reduce tumor burden, continuous therapy (CT) leads to natural selection of resistant populations. Critically, this process in ALCL produces a strong reduction in cell viability in drug-free conditions...
Stackelberg evolutionary game (SEG) theory combines classical and evolutionary game theory to frame interactions between a rational leader and evolving followers. In some of these interactions, the leader wants to preserve the evolving system (e.g. fisheries management), while in others, they try to drive the system to extinction (e.g. pest control). Often the worst strategy for the leader is...
Evolutionary change is rapid, ubiquitous, and increasingly documented across managed ecological systems. Yet management decisions are still largely formulated as if ecological systems were static, with targets focused on abundance, habitat area, or harvest rates while evolutionary responses are treated as background processes or unintended side effects. This mismatch generates predictable...
Resistance to targeted therapies remains a challenge in the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Standard Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) protocols often accelerate the competitive release of drug-resistant cell populations, leading to treatment failure. Evolutionary therapy (ET) offers an alternative approach, seeking to forestall resistance by exploiting density- and...
Game theory, a field that models strategic interactions, is seeing a resurgence throughout the theoretical biology and ecology communities. Well-established techniques are being brought to new applications, and traditional modelling approaches expanded through game-theoretic ideas, including evolutionary games, stochastic games, and learning in interacting populations. These tools provide a...
