People

CARSTEN RAHBEK

Full Professor
Director of CMEC
Leader of Villum Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity
 

I direct CMEC and have an active interest in all its activities. My main personal research interests are patterns of species distribution, species range sizes, species assemblages, species richness and what determines such patterns (contemporary and historical factors or perhaps also just a bit of chance). Recent focus has been on the role of scale and conceptual formulation and practical design of null- and predictive models that allow direct testing of hypotheses related to patterns of diversity. The natural "other side" of my research relates how evolutionary and ecographical principles can be used to identify robust priorities for conservation of biodiversity.

Email: crahbek@sund.ku.dk

KATHERINE RICHARDSON

Full Professor and Co-PI
Leader of 
Research Centre on Ocean, Climate, and Society

My training is in biological oceanography but for many years, I have contributed to the development of Earth system science as a scientific domain. I am fascinated by how interactions between the Geosphere, Biosphere, and Anthroposphere establish state conditions of the Earth. My research is largely devoted to understanding how plankton diversity and ecosystem structure contribute to ocean carbon cycling. I also examine the role of the ocean in global carbon cycling and am a core developer of the planetary boundaries framework.

Email: kari@sund.ku.dk

DAVID NOGUÉS-BRAVO

Full Professor
Head of Section

My research aimed at unveiling the drivers of biological diversity for a better understanding the future impacts of Global Change on biodiversity. I'm specifically assessing the causes of Late Quaternary Extinctions (humans and climate change) integrating genomics, phylogeography and niche modeling. This is also an excellent playground to improve niche modeling and getting better predictions of future extinctions when climate change and humans come together.

Email: dnogues@sund.ku.dk

KASPER THORUP

Full Professor

My primary research interest is in movement ecology, mainly the migration strategies of smaller long-distance migrants. I have recently focused on how Afro-Palearctic songbird and cuckoo migrants track seasonally changing resources through time and space. I also work more generally within ornithology, conservation and disease ecology. Furthermore, I am involved in exploiting and developing small-animal tracking from space and our “going-wild” approach. Additionally, I serve as Scientific Advisor of Copenhagen Bird Ringing Centre, Natural History Museum of Denmark and am Affiliated Scientist of Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.

Email: kthorup@sund.ku.dk

NEIL DAVID BURGESS

Full Professor (part-time)
Chief Scientist in UNEP-WCMC 

My current research interests are related to the interface between science and pratical conservation action, either on the ground in terms of reserve management or community engagement, or within international processes such as the program of work on protected areas in the CBD and the whole issue of forest carbon and the implementation of REDD within the UNFCCC. As such I work on collaboration projects with NGOs (WWF, BirdLife, Conservation International, IUCN), Governments (Tanzania) and UN agencies (UNEP-WCMC and UNDP GEF and UN REDD).

Email: neil.burgess@sund.ku.dk

JON FJELDSÅ

Professor Emeritus

I am Professor Emeritus, based at the Natural History Museum of Denmark since 1971, where I was curator of the bird collections with long experience from collecting expeditions in many parts of the world. Over the years my research has covered many fields of ornithology, conservation biology and evolutionary biology. I now use my accumulated intuitive insights to analyze what governs speciation dynamics and global patterns of species diversity as part of the research program of CMEC. My main focus has been the diversification of the 6200 species of passerine (or perching) birds.

Email: jfjeldsaa@snm.ku.dk

JETTE BREDAHL JACOBSEN

Full Professor

I am professor in environmental and resource economics at IFRO. My research interests cover a broad range of topics of human-nature interactions. I work with the valuation of ecosystem services, with landowners decisions-making, climate change mitigation, with adaptation strategies to climate change and broader with decision making under uncertainty. I teach two MSC courses in ‘applied economics of forest and nature’ and ‘applied arctic resource economics and management’, and also a Ph.D. course in environmental valuation. I am vice chair of the European Scientific Advisory Board for Climate Change.

Email: jbj@ifro.ku.dk

NIELS STRANGE

Full Professor

My research interest is on the socio-economics of forest and nature planning and management. I have been involved in projects on spatial prioritization of conservation interventions and environmental economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently I am involved in projects on these topics but also other projects concerning biodiversity finance, biodiversity and business, payments for environmental services, landowner behavior, multi-criteria analysis, and decision-making under risk. I direct the European Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Course in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management. In addition, I am a member of the Danish Biodiversity Council.

Email: nst@ifro.ku.dk

BO JELLESMARK THORSEN

Full Professor

I am Professor in applied economics at IFRO, and Dean of the Faculty of Science. My research interests are quite broad. A considerable part of my research has focused on uncertainty and decision making in forest and natural resource settings. I am also interested in the environmental economics of forest and landscape. I also teach in various courses - mainly as a co-teacher, and I act as supervisor for a number of PhD students and MSc thesis students.

Email: bjt@ifro.ku.dk

METTE TERMANSEN

Full Professor

I am an Environmental and Natural Resource Economist at IFRO primarily working on spatially explicit economic analysis of land use decision-making, ecosystem service provision and valuation. The range of environmental themes includes biodiversity, climate adaptation and mitigation, water quality and recreation. Currently, I am particularly interested in spatial analysis of alternative designs of voluntary environmental policy schemes.

Email: mt@ifro.ku.dk 

MICHAEL KRABBE BORREGAARD

Associate Professor

My research aims to unravel how Earth dynamics drive ecology and evolution. My main focus is on islands over large time scales, but also extends to the world’s mountain regions. I am increasingly focusing on understanding what drives anthropogenic extinction of species on islands – undeniably the global hotspot of the global extinction crisis. I also work actively with methods development and produce research software in Julia and R. In addition to my research I am deputy head of department for teaching at Globe Institute, course responsible for three courses, representative for the area of Earth, Life and Data Science in the faculty Academic Council, and delegate on the Health Faculty’s sustainability steering group.

Email: mkborregaard@sund.ku.dk

RUTE DA FONSECA

Associate Professor

My group uses information extracted from genomic data to understand processes in ecology and evolution. One of our main interests is to characterize gene evolution across various time scales and its impact on phenotypes, ranging from recent domestication events to differences between vertebrates and invertebrates. We are also assessing how genetic diversity can optimally be used in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Our projects apply methods from computational biology and bioinformatics to projects in population genomics and phylogenomics.

Email: rfonseca@sund.ku.dk

JACOB HEILMANN-CLAUSEN

Associate Professor

With a background in mycology and forest ecology, I work on basal and applied research projects on fungal biodiversity and management of natural areas, especially in Denmark. My research spans from citizen science based mapping and monitoring of biodiversity, over ecological restoration to exploration of the basal drivers shaping fungal biogeography and trait evolution. As project leader in the Danish Fungal Atlas I also work on biodiversity discovery, taxonomy, and computer vision.

Email: jheilmann-clausen@sund.ku.dk

PETER ANDREW HOSNER

Associate Professor

My research seeks to understand how geographical, environmental, and ecological factors shape species distributions over time and influence diversification. In addition to my work at CMEC, I curate the bird collection at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and I have interests broadly in avian research. My field work is global in scope, but I prefer to focus on poorly surveyed, mega-diverse tropical areas. I am also keen on the use of biological collections as a historical archives to document global change, and on the creative use of biological specimens in the sciences.

Email: peter.hosner@snm.ku.dk

NAIA MORUETA-HOLME

Associate Professor

My research focuses on the drivers of species distributions and diversity in the Anthropocene, especially of plants and birds. I am particularly interested in quantifying the effect of human-induced climate and land use change on biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales. My team integrates field resurveys of historical data, citizen science, museum genomics, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and computer vision to understand and better predict future pathways of biodiversity. Driving my research is a strong motivation to promote science-based biodiversity conservation.

Email: morueta-holme@sund.ku.dk

JONAS GELDMANN

Associate Professor 

My research focuses on understanding and mapping threats to biodiversity, and assessing the impact of conservation interventions. In particular how resources, management, governance, and socio-economic context influences the effectiveness and performance of protected areas. I primarily address this through a global lens, utilizing large global dataset from conservation organizations, research institutions as well as from remote-sensing sources to develop correlative models of what predicts conservation success (when possible) through the use of quasi-experimental methods and experimental designs.

Email: jgeldmann@sund.ku.dk 

THOMAS LUNDHEDE

Associate Professor

At the Danish Centre for Forest and Landscape at IFRO I primarily work with the socioeconomic aspects of biodiversity. Like any other natural resource biodiversity is managed within limited economical means. Therefore I focus on how society’s objectives of protecting biodiversity are best and economically efficient accomplished. Among other things this involves revealing society’s preferences for different species by means of non-market valuation techniques and econometric modelling.

Email: thlu@ifro.ku.dk

DAMIEN FORDHAM

Associate Professor

I am an Associate Professor in Global Change Ecology working at the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute and Department for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. My research interests are diverse, and include macroecology, global change biology, biogeography, climate science, quantitative ecology and conservation biology. I lead the Biodiversity and Climate theme at the Environment Institute and I am an Associate Dean International in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology.

Email: damien.fordham@adelaide.edu.au 

HANNAH OWENS

Assistant Professor

I am driven to discover what patterns emerge from large datasets, and how to best infer the evolutionary processes underlying these patterns. I split my research between tropical mountain birds and oceanic fishes. I also maintain several R packages and collaborate to improve ecological niche modeling (ENM) theory and practice, as well as integrating ENM with comparative phylogenetics. While fishes are my primary interest, I have worked with insects, plants, frogs, and a diversity of endo- and ectoparasites. In addition to the Mountain Center, I am appointed as a courtesy Curator of Informatics at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Email: hannah.owens@sund.ku.dk

ANNA BRÜNICHE-OLSEN

Assistant Professor

I am an evolutionary biologist applying genomics to answer questions about species conservation. My research focuses on understanding how species respond to environmental change and explore how genomic variation varies across taxonomic groups. The aim is to understand which factors contribute to population demographics and identify parameters that can be used to inform conservation of species.

 Email: anna.bruniche-olsen@sund.ku.dk

NICHOLAS FREYMUELLER

PhD Fellow

My research interests generally lie at the intersection of paleoecology and biogeography. I am interested in how animals, particularly charismatic megafauna, have responded to changes in Earth's climate on both ecological and geological time-scales. For my PhD dissertation (joint with the University of Adelaide), I am investigating the resilience of Arctic marine mammals, particularly bowhead whales, to future climate change by integrating bio-molecular paleo-archives (such as aDNA and stable isotopes) into process-explicit ecological models. Also, I'm @Smilodontology on Bluesky.

Email: nicholas.freymueller@adelaide.edu.au

KATHERINE PULIDO CHADID

PhD Fellow

I am an environmental engineer with an MSc in sustainable development. My research interests are biodiversity conservation, macroecology, and global change. In my PhD, I'm focusing on the effectiveness of protected areas regarding threat abatement and species conservation. Specifically in terms of conducting systematic reviews to understand how threats have been considered in conservation planning, and how protected areas are contributing to the reduction of threats to biodiversity. In addition, I will be looking at global and regional analyses to assess the effectiveness of PAs in terms of biodiversity conservation and threat coverage considering the socio-economic and ecological features of the studied regions.

Email: katherine.pulido@sund.ku.dk 

TIEM VAN DER DEURE

PhD Fellow

Climate change will directly impact the lives of millions through increased risk of vector-borne diseases. The spread of vector species and warmer temperatures will mean that more people are exposed to vector-borne diseases for longer periods. I want to improve our understanding of how climate drives vector-borne disease transmission and what the implications of climate change for vector-borne disease risk will be. In my PhD project, I will develop and apply state-of-the-art models of vector-borne disease transmission to predict the effect of a warming climate on the distribution of vector-borne diseases, focusing on snail- and tick-borne diseases. My research is part of the PREPARE4VBD project.

Email: tvd@sund.ku.dk 

MAJ SOFIE P. D. CHRISTENSEN

PhD Fellow

I am fascinated by the complex processes and species interactions that shape arctic ecosystems. My key interest is to understand how climate change may alter plant communities in the future and what implications these changes might have on ecosystem functioning. In my PhD project, I will use datasets from historical Danish botanists to perform field resurveys and reconstruct vegetation change over the past century. The project will include fieldwork in remote areas of western Greenland.

Email: maj.christensen@sund.ku.dk 

NATHAN MICHIELSEN

PhD Fellow

My research interests lie at the intersection of (island) biogeography, phylogenetics, paleobiology, and mammal extinctions. I am driven to use modelling techniques and a wide range of evidence—from fossils to (ancient) genomic data to historic sources, indigenous knowledge, and climate and land use reconstructions—to deepen our understanding of past extinctions. For my PhD project in the joint-program between the Universities of Copenhagen and Adelaide, I aim to develop process-based models that reconstruct the spatiotemporal extinction dynamics of Australian mammals following European colonization. This will give us a better understanding of the timing, geography and drivers of the extinctions of these unique species, which will benefit the conservation of Australia's mammals now and in the future.

Email: fcd538@sund.ku.dk

WESSEL MULDER

PhD Fellow

I’m a PhD student in a joint-program between the University of Copenhagen and the University of Adelaide. Last year, I graduated from my Master's in Ecology & Evolution from the University of Amsterdam, where I uncovered my interests in macroecology, biogeography, global change, and ecological modelling. In my PhD, I hope to apply principles from these fields to determine the drivers of avian range shifts and how these are mediated by species’ traits with an outlook on how climate change may impact avian distributions in the near future. Additionally, I’m interested in how macroecological questions can (or can’t) be answered from specific statistical and modelling methods, and how different approaches shape the reliability of answers we derive from them.

Email: bhr597@sund.ku.dk

MUHAMMAD ILYAS

PhD Fellow

I have a background in wildlife ecology and data science. My broad research interests center on understanding how biodiversity responds to the challenges of climate change. As a PhD student in the joint program between the University of Copenhagen and the University of Adelaide, I aim to use process-based models to investigate the recovery of large bodied herbivores and the associated ecosystem services. This research will enhance our understanding of how large herbivore restoration can influence the structure, function, and resilience of natural ecosystems, amid rapidly changing environmental conditions. Through my work, I hope to contribute insights that support the conservation and management of these important species.

Email: tvw463@sund.ku.dk 

JESSE STANFORD 

Industrial PhD Fellow

Email: bst788@sund.ku.dk

KAMILLA KRAUSE KRISTENSEN

Center Administrator
PA to Professor Carsten Rahbek

I am the center administrator at CMEC and Villum Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, where I manage different administrative tasks. One of my most important tasks is to provide support to the center's academic staff, and to ensure a proper onboarding for new employees. I have an educational background as school teacher, but have been employeed in various administrative positions the past years, including at the National History Museum at University of Copenhagen. 

Email: kkrause@sund.ku.dk 

LOUISE KLINGE WEJLEMAND

Administrative Officer

Email: louise.wejlemand@sund.ku.dk 

TIM AMMITZBØLL GUDKOV

Communications Adviser

I play an active part in most communication activities at CMEC and the Villum Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, including digital communication and social media, press and news, and overall communication assistance and counseling. I hold a Master's degree in Rhetoric from UCPH with a special interest in critical analysis, representation, and strategic communication. I have previously been engaged in counseling and public relations, copywriting, and editorial work in both the private and public sector.

Email: tim.gudkov@sund.ku.dk 

LARS DINESEN

Special Consultant

I am advisor in the IPBES in Denmark office financed by six Danish Universities with the Danish Ministry of Environment on its board. IPBES is a global science-policy platform on biodiversity. My responsibilities include coordination of activities and administration of economy with main tasks comprising 1) liaison with scientists and decision-makers, 2) dissemination and communication of results, 3) supporting Danish research institutions and the Ministry of Environment with IPBES and 4) raising funds for biodiversity research. I hold a Master's degree in Biology on biodiversity patterns in the tropics. For many years I have worked with international policy level environmental agreements, research, and nature management.

Email: lars.dinesen@sund.ku.dk

LOUIS A. HANSEN

Research Consultant

I am an ornithologist, graduated from the Zoological Museum, Denmark. At CMEC, I work on various projects for Professor Carsten Rahbek. A huge project with mapping the distribution of all birds in the world ended in 2020. Other largescale projects have involved mapping distribution of mammals, snakes and amphibians on the African continent. Since 2020 employed at the Villum Mountain Project (South America), compiling and organizing data sets. Privately funded fieldwork often carries me away to East Africa and India. Here, my main interests are various aspects about the montane bird species including my passion for sound recording of birds.

Email: lahansen@sund.ku.dk

ANDERS HØJGÅRD PETERSEN

Special Consultant

My main interests are within biodiversity and nature conservation particular in a Danish context. My main ambition is to contribute in making Danish nature management more efficient, data-driven, and science-based. I do spatial analyses of biodiversity including spatial conservation prioritization; often in interdisciplinary contexts, also including socio-economic aspects and ecosystem services. I have played key roles in several high-profile national analyses of the efforts needed to preserve Danish biodiversity. My broad experience from more than 30 years as a biologist, consultant and researcher also includes marine biology, environmental impact assessment and monitoring, nature-based solutions, and data analysis in general.

Email: anders.h.petersen@sund.ku.dk

SIRI VATSØ HAUGUM

Academic Staff

I am an ecologist with a strong interest in nature conservation and science communication. In my PhD project, I focused on ecosystem responses to climate and land-use changes. My research background also includes heathland ecology, arctic and alpine vegetation resampling, and seabird population dynamics. At CMEC, I work on the NaturMål ("NatureGoals") project, where we aim to identify indicators and goals for dynamic nature management that can be applied to nature projects across Denmark and abroad. In this role, I am responsible for various outreach activities, including writing fact sheets and a handbook on dynamic nature management in Denmark.

Email: siri.haugum@sund.ku.dk

KARSTEN ELMOSE VAD 

Senior Consultant 

I am the project manager of the school programs at CMEC. I develop science education materials in close collaboration with researchers and experts. My main objective is to bring the research-based knowledge of CMEC into the classrooms all over Denmark by designing high-quality learning activities. I have a background in environmental planning and as a science teacher. My work experience includes digital learning, podcasts, books and magazines, fundraising, citizen science, IBSE and environmental education on a variety of topics e.g. biodiversity, climate, evolution, wicked problems, natural history and "natursyn" (environmental philosophy). My ultimate goal is to engage a broader diversity of people in understanding, enjoying and discussing science and nature.

Email: kevad@sund.ku.dk 

EMMA EMILIE ANDERSEN

Academic Officer 

I have a Master’s degree in biology and have been engaged in science communication and education since my time as a student. My experience covers communication of sustainability, environmental science, ecotoxicology, synthetic biology and biodiversity, using a broad range of formats including workshops, digital platforms, e-books and video production. At CMEC, I work on the project “Biodiversity in high schools”, focusing on implementing research-based knowledge of biodiversity patterns into the curriculum of Danish high schools. I develop online teaching materials for students as well as written learning materials, courses and workshops for high school teachers.

Email: emma.andersen@sund.ku.dk

EA LUNA BURMEISTER KAARING

Student Assistant

As a Student Assistant at CMEC, I assist with the practical day-to-day tasks on our school projects and occasionally I also assist at our teacher courses and workshops. I’m currently taking a Bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Copenhagen with a special interest in ecology and nature conservation.

Email: ea.kaaring@sund.ku.dk

KATRINE MINDDAL

Academic Officer

My main interests are science education and science engagement activities in schools. At CMEC, I work on the project "A Greener Climate" ("Et grønnere klima") where I develop interdisciplinary teaching materials and activities to be used in the Danish elementary schools within the topic of nature-based solutions. The project is a collaboration between science researchers and science communication professionals from both UCPH and University of Southern Denmark alongside science teacher associations, teachers, and students. My educational background is in teaching, conservation-restoration, and philosophy with years of experience in didactics and development of educational activities and materials.

Email: katrine.minddal@sund.ku.dk

LARS GREEN DALL

Special Consultant

I will for a two-year period (2023-25) be involved in a book project together with Professor Carsten Rahbek. My primary role in the project is coordinating, researching and editing. The focus of the book will be biodiversity and the research at CMEC. I hold a Master’s degree in Danish Literature (Major) and Biology (BA). I am an experienced teacher in biology (high school), and I have been highly involved in both exhibition developments at Stevns Klint Experience, outreach activities at Natural History Museum of Denmark , writing books on science & literature, and editing children’s books on nature and science.

Email: lars.green.dall@sund.ku.dk 

THOMAS LÆSSØE

Researcher

Email: thomas.laessoee@sund.ku.dk