Antoine Guisan

Antoine Guisan is a Swiss ecologist and professor at the University of Lausanne whose research focuses on biodiversity conservation, species distribution modelling, and global change biology.

Education Guisan obtained his BSc from the University of Geneva in 1990. He continued with a MSc in 1992, and from 1993 to 1996 he worked on his PhD, both at the same university. He also obtained a Postgraduate Master in Statistics from the University of Neuchâtel in 1996.

Career In 1997, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University in the Center for Conservation Biology and later held a similar position at the Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. From 1998 to 2001, he worked at the Swiss Center for Faunal Cartography and later became an assistant professor at the University of Lausanne, specializing in plant biogeography and spatial ecology.

Research Antoine Guisan's research focuses on spatial ecology and eco-geographical modelling, with a particular emphasis on predictive habitat distribution modelling.

His research includes modelling the impacts of climate change on plant species distributions and biodiversity, supporting conservation and management of rare and endangered species, evaluating the invasive potential of non-native plants and niche conservatism between native and colonized ranges, and analysing landscape patterns and habitat fragmentation.

Selected publications

Professional service According to his ORCID record, he has served on numerous scientific committees and advisory boards related to biodiversity, ecology and environmental policy.

Institutional and scientific committees 2022–present – Co-chair, Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (SCNAT / University of Lausanne / University of Bern) 2022–present – Committee member, Master in Environmental Sciences (ENVSCI), University of Lausanne 2021–present – Advisory Scientific Committee for Ecological Transition, University of Lausanne 2021–present – Biodiversity Observatory, University of Lausanne 2021–present – Executive Board, CLIMACT programme (UNIL–EPFL) 2018–present – Scientific Committee, Interdisciplinary Center for Mountain Research (CIRM), University of Lausanne 2018–present – Teaching Committee, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne 2017–present – Committee member, Master in Behaviour, Evolution and Conservation (BEC), University of Lausanne 2013–present – Swiss representative, International Biogeography Society 2002–present – Scientific board member, Swiss Biodiversity Forum (Swiss Academy of Sciences)

University governance 2014–2024 – President, Environmental Commission, University of Lausanne 2018–2020 – Research Commission, University of Lausanne 2014–2018 – Equality Committee, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment (FGSE), University of Lausanne 2012–2018 – Pro-Femme Commission, University of Lausanne 2009–2018 – Sustainability Commission (Agenda 21), University of Lausanne 2002–2013 – Environmental Commission, University of Lausanne

International scientific organisations 2015–2018 – Lead Author (Chapter 5) and contributor (Chapter 3), European and Central Asia Assessment, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) 2015–2016 – Member, Task Force on Data Fitness for Modelling, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 2011–2018 – Member, Scientific Advisory Board, ARC Centre of Excellence in Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland 2003–2006 – Member, Swiss Forum for Conservation Biology (SWIFCOB) 2002–2004 – President, Section V (Biology of Organisms), Swiss Academy of Sciences 2002–2004 – Member, Executive Board, Swiss Academy of Sciences

Awards and honours 2025 – Jürg Tschopp Basic Life Sciences Award, University of Lausanne 2024 – Research.com ranking of Best Ecology and Evolution Scientists (#179 globally) 2022 – Distinguished Fellow Award, International Biogeography Society 2022 – Research.com Top 1000 Scientists in Ecology & Evolution (#6 in Switzerland, #153 worldwide) 2021 – Reuters list of the 1,000 most influential climate scientists (#119) 2015 – Thomson Reuters World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015 – Thomson Reuters recognition in Australia’s Leaders in Research and Innovation 2015–2016 – Essential Science Indicators: 2nd and 3rd most cited scientist in Ecology/Environment 2014–2025 – Highly Cited Researcher in Ecology/Environment (Thomson Reuters / Clarivate) 2013 – Lab Times ranking: 6th most cited scientist in Plant Science 2010 – ScienceWatch ranking: 9th most cited scientist in Climate Change 2008 – ScienceWatch ranking: 12th most cited paper in Ecology/Environment 2007 – Contributor to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2003 – Essential Science Indicators “Hot Paper” in Ecology/Environment