ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

2012-2015: PhD in Forensic Medicien, Forensic Genetics (Thesie: "Forensic and population genetic studies of the human Y chromosome"), Section of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2008-2010: Master of Medical Science, Forensic Science (Thesis: "The value of Y-STR analysis in sexual assault cases"), Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (performed at the Section of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark).

2007-2008: Studies at the Master Program of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

2003-2007: Bachelor of Science, Honours in Genetics ("Thesis: Characterization of two regions in the human X Inactive Specific Transcript, XIST"), Faculty of Science, University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada. 

RESEARCH AND TRAINING

2019-present: Marie Curie Independent postdoctoral fellow (Research: "Biogeography and natural hybridization in the genus Mentha"), GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

2015-2019: Postdoctoral research associate (Research: Population genomics of the tropical grass Alloteropsis and the evolutionary origin of complex traits), Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK.

2011-2015: Educational position, including PhD degree, Section of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

2010- 2011: Forensic genetics assistance, Section of Forensic Genetics, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

June- Aug2009: Student helper, Section of Forensic Genetics, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

June-Aug 2008: Summer scholarship student (Research: ”Expression of serotonin in rat brain, an animal model of Parkinson’s “) Dr. Angela Cenci-Nilsson’s laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden.

June-Aug 2007: Summer scholarship student (Research: “Detection of a deletion on chromosome 6 with fluorescent in-situhybridisation (FISH) in acute lymphatic lymphoma (ALL)”) Dr. Bertil Johansson’s laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University,  Sweden.

May-June 2006: Research studentvolunteer (Research: “X chromosome studies and breast and ovarian carcinoma”) Dr. Wendy Robbinson’s laboratory Child & Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

I have studied population genetics since 2010 when I started writing my Masters thesis at Copenhagen University. I am fascinated by the evolutionary and demographic processes that genetically link populations and species and the aim of my research is to understand how these processes shape the genomic variability we observe today. 

My current research aims to understand the importance of natural gene flow and adaptive introgression in oak trees and how this influences drought stress response. Oaks are iconic and important forest trees that will be vital for the green transition in Denmark. It is therefore important to ensure their health under future warmer and drier climates. The two common European oaks, pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and sessile oak (Q. petraea), are closely related and show relatively high frequency of inter-fertility. However, Q. petraea is generally better suited for survival and growth under drought stress. To ensure healthy and productive oak stands in Denmark under future climates it has been suggested to focus re-forestation strategies on pre-adapted seed sources. In this project, we aim to evaluate phenotypic and genotypic difference in drought stress response among oaks. Specifically we are testing the hypothesis that genes associated with drought tolerance in Q. pretraea can be moved into Q. robur through natural gene flow and that Q. robur seed sources with pre-adapted Q. pretraea genes will be valuable for future re-forestation projects in Denmark.