2014 - PhD in evolutionary biology, University of Münster, Germany

2009 - MSc, University of Zagreb, Croat

Evolutionary Ecology Group

Research:

How do animal groups cope with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases?
Living in groups brings many benefits, but it also increases disease risk due to close interactions among individuals. Eusocial insects, such as ants, bees, and termites, have evolved sophisticated collective defense strategies against pathogens, known as social immunity, which involve coordinated responses at the colony level.

However, most of our understanding of these collective defenses comes from studies on eusocial species, while relatively little is known about disease management in other group-living animals—which actually represent the majority of social species. Our research addresses this critical knowledge gap by using flour beetles (Tribolium) as a model. Specifically, we investigate how these non-eusocial animals detect pathogens and prevent epidemics within their groups, thereby providing insights relevant to a broader range of animal societies.

Evolution of cooperation in the context of disease

In addition to studying group-level disease defenses in Tribolium as a non-eusocial host, our group investigates whether and under what ecological or social conditions infectious disease can promote cooperative behaviors. Unlike eusocial insects, where cooperation is obligate, Tribolium beetles offer a unique opportunity to test if cooperation can emerge facultatively in response to disease pressure. This line of research aims to uncover how pathogen risk may act as a selective force shaping social interactions in group-living animals.

Stock M*, Milutinović B*, Hoenigsberger M, Grasse AV, Wiesenhofer F, Kampleitner N, Narasimhan M, Schmitt M, Cremer S (2023). Pathogen evasion of social immunity, Nat Ecol Evol 7, 450–460.

Milutinović B, Stock M, Grasse AV, Naderlinger E, Hilbe C, Cremer S (2020). Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens, Ecol Lett, doi: 10.1111/ele.13458., research featured as issue cover image.