Yuriy is interested in the evolution of multicellular life cycles - how simple unicellular ancestors evolved into cell colonies, and how these colonies developed multiple complex adaptations, which led them to become multicellular organisms. Besides this topic, he worked on evolutionary game theory, mathematical oncology, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Yuriy got his master's degree in physics from Novosibirsk State University in Russia, followed by a doctoral degree in theoretical biology from Massey University in New Zealand and then a postdoc at Max Planck Institute in Germany.