Anneleen Kool

Anneleen Kool serves as Professor and Head of the Botanical Garden at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum, driving interdisciplinary research on human-plant relationships through conservation, education, and public outreach initiatives focused on global plant diversity.

Her academic qualifications include:

• MSc in Biology, Wageningen University (2003)
• MSc in Biology, Uppsala University (2004)
• PhD in Systematic Botany, Uppsala University (2012)

Dr. Kool's research centers on ethnobotany, DNA barcoding, and ancient DNA analysis to investigate millennia of human impact on plant diversity, with special emphasis on Viking-Age trade, medicinal plants, and sustainable foraging practices. She integrates biological data with cultural sources to reconstruct historical plant use patterns across Nordic regions.

Her recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate transdisciplinary methodologies combining historical records, archaeology, and molecular techniques. Key trends include Viking-Age plant utilization validation, co-conservation of indigenous knowledge with seed banking, sustainable wild food plant management, and immunomodulatory compound discovery in traditional medicines through text-screening pipelines.

Professional recognition includes:

• Uppsala University’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2007)

Dr. Kool leads the EDGE research group and participates in major projects including NORPART, Nordic People and Plants, NorCol, and FOODIMPACT. She teaches BIOS 1150 (Biodiversity), BIOS 2200 (Botanical Diversity), and field courses while engaging public communities through initiatives like the 'People and Plants' project that documents contemporary wild plant use.

The Botanical Garden under her leadership functions as a living laboratory for research and education, while the EDGE group advances molecular ethnobotany through international collaborations. Her work bridges academic research with organizations like the Norwegian Mushroom and Useful Plants Association to preserve cultural plant knowledge.