Torbjørn Ekrem

Torbjørn Ekrem is Professor at NTNU's Department of Natural History and curator of Diptera collections. His research integrates taxonomy, phylogenetics, and DNA barcoding to study chironomid midges, water mites, and tardigrades. He chairs the Norwegian Barcode of Life network and coordinates EU biodiversity genomics initiatives.

Research spans evolutionary biology, biogeography, and molecular systematics with focus on developing DNA-based biodiversity monitoring tools. Recent work examines arthropod diversity patterns across latitudes and ecosystem-specific invertebrate communities.

Teaching includes biosystematics, biogeography, and molecular techniques. Current projects investigate tardigrade diversity in Norwegian forests and marine metabarcoding applications.

Authored over 100 publications advancing invertebrate systematics and biodiversity assessment methodologies.