Aberham Hailu Feyissa is an Associate Professor at the National Food Institute of the Technical University of Denmark , specializing in process modeling and sustainable food engineering. His research bridges complex transport phenomena with practical food manufacturing challenges. Ph.D. in Food Process Engineering, Technical University of Denmark MSc in Food Science, K.U.Leuven and Universiteit Gent BSc in Chemical Engineering, Bahir Dar University His work focuses on coupled mass and heat transfer during solid food processing, aiming to develop robust first-principles models for predictive process optimization. Key applications include Ohmic heating , digital twin technology , and bioactive ingredient extraction . Recent publications highlight his contributions to sustainable food processes , including insect-based feed modeling , seaweed bread kinetics , and clean-label cheese formulation . His methodological innovations span FTIR spectroscopy , computational fluid dynamics , and kinetic modeling . Supervisor for PhD students S. S. Turgut , M. E. Jabali , and Dahal S. Principal Investigator for projects like Modelling and Digitalisation of Food Processes and Sustainable Extraction of Bioactive Insect Fractions Active in conference presentations and peer review , he drives advancements in food process understanding through mechanistic modeling and mathematical simulation .
Søren Munch Kristiansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geoscience at Aarhus University, Faculty of Natural Sciences. His interdisciplinary research bridges geoscience and archaeology, focusing on the complex interactions between soil, water, and human societies across time. He is actively engaged in transdisciplinary projects involving geoarchaeology, groundwater, and public health. Research Interests: His work centers on how soil and groundwater have shaped human prehistory and continue to influence modern life. Key areas include safe drinking water from a lifelong perspective, geoarchaeological prospection, Viking Age settlements, and the application of geophysical and geochemical methods in archaeological contexts. He is particularly interested in novel, interdisciplinary methodologies. Recent Research Trends: His recent publications reveal a strong focus on integrating geophysical data (e.g., GPR, borehole databases) with archaeological interpretation, especially in 3D urban modeling and landscape change. Themes include Viking Age sites, interglacial deposits, and anthropogenic soil modifications. His work increasingly employs machine learning and large-scale data synthesis. Scientific Awards: No awards mentioned in the provided text. Advising and Grants: While specific students are not listed, he leads and participates in multiple funded research projects, indicating an active supervisory role. His grants span from 2016 to 2024, including projects like TITAN, SAGA, and 'Fingerprinting displaced molecular substances,' highlighting sustained funding and leadership in interdisciplinary geoscience-archaeology research. Labs and Teams: He is involved in collaborative networks such as the Soil Science & Archaeo-geophysics Alliance (SAGA), suggesting leadership in interdisciplinary research teams. His work often involves multi-proxy analyses and international collaborations, particularly in Scandinavian archaeological geophysics.
Professor Riikka Rinnan (University of Copenhagen) is a leading expert in ecosystem-atmosphere interactions, focusing on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Arctic environments. Her groundbreaking discovery of VOCs in permafrost has advanced climate prediction models, revealing complex interactions between climate warming, insect herbivory, microbial activity, and vegetation shifts. Current position: Professor, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen Major research themes: Permafrost VOCs, Arctic climate feedbacks, plant-insect-microbial interactions International collaborations: China, Germany, Russia Her work combines field expeditions in extreme Arctic conditions with laboratory experiments and advanced VOC analysis. Climate warming experiments show VOC emissions could increase 40-fold with combined warming and insect attacks, while Arctic soils may act as unexpected VOC sinks. Key publications appear in Nature Communications , Nature Geoscience , and Global Change Biology . Riikka Rinnan has received prestigious awards including the EliteForsk Award, European Research Council Consolidator Grant, and Sapere Aude Research Leader. She leads international research teams, advises five PhD candidates, and supervises four postdocs (including two Marie Curie fellows). Her Siberian expedition plans demonstrate commitment to real-world scientific challenges.
Kim Bjerge serves as Associate Professor and Group Leader in Aarhus University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, specializing in computer vision and machine learning applications for ecological monitoring. His research bridges engineering and environmental science to develop innovative solutions for insect biodiversity assessment and sustainable agriculture. His core research interests include computer vision, deep learning, and edge computing systems for real-world ecological monitoring. Dr. Bjerge develops time-lapse camera pipelines and deep learning models specifically for insect population tracking in natural environments, with emphasis on agricultural applications like black soldier fly farming and biodiversity conservation. His work integrates signal processing techniques with biological data to create field-deployable monitoring systems. Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward practical implementations of computer vision in entomology, particularly focusing on edge processing for camera traps, automated trait prediction in insect farming, and biodiversity monitoring systems. Key research areas include nocturnal insect monitoring, floral environment analysis, and developing specialized datasets like AMI for insect identification in wild settings. He leads multiple significant research projects funded through competitive grants: MAMBO: Modern Approaches to Monitoring Biodiversity (2022-2026) FLYgene: Sustainable Insect Production for Livestock Feed (2022-2026) Automatisk monitering af nataktive insekter: Automatic nocturnal insect monitoring (2024-2029) Pilotprojekt for automatisk registrering af invasive plantearter: Invasive species monitoring (2020-2021) As head of the Signal Processing and Machine Learning research group, Dr. Bjerge directs interdisciplinary teams developing computer vision solutions for biological monitoring systems. His laboratory focuses on creating robust field-deployable technologies including scanner-based arthropod imaging systems, time-lapse camera networks for floral environments, and edge AI processors for real-time insect monitoring in agricultural settings.
Manfred Laubichler is President’s Professor of Theoretical Biology and History of Biology at Arizona State University (ASU), where he serves as Director of the School of Complex Adaptive Systems and the Global Biosocial Complexity Initiative. He is also an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) and co-director of the ASU-SFI Center for Biosocial Complex Systems. His academic affiliations include the Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, the Center for Biology and Society, the Center for Evolution and Medicine, and the Water Institute at ASU. His educational background spans zoology, philosophy, and mathematics from the University of Vienna; biology from Yale University; and history/history of science from Princeton University. Laubichler's research centers on evolutionary novelties across scales—from genomes to knowledge systems—alongside the structure of evolutionary theory and the evolution of scientific knowledge. His work bridges theoretical biology, philosophy of science, and complex systems, with a strong emphasis on biosocial complexity and sustainability. He has contributed extensively to understanding the conceptual foundations of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) and the historical and philosophical dimensions of biological theory. His recent publications reflect an interdisciplinary trend, integrating epidemiology, public health, and social behavior during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining a core focus on theoretical biology, history of science, and complex systems. Themes include trust, scientific responsibility, epistemology of science, and modeling biosocial dynamics. Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Vice Chair of the Global Climate Forum Laubichler has led multiple NSF-funded research initiatives in digital humanities, history and philosophy of science, and complex adaptive systems. He has advised numerous doctoral projects and co-led training programs such as the Embryo Project. He is actively involved in interdisciplinary labs and centers, including the Information and Competition Lab, Complexity Economics Lab, and the Social Insect Research Group. His leadership extends to editorial roles in journals like Biological Theory , Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B , and the Archimedes series.
Arden Roy Bashforth is an Academic Researcher at the Collections Department within the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, affiliated with the Natural History Museum of Denmark (Statens Naturhistoriske Museum). His research focuses on Paleozoic plant-fossil assemblages, particularly examining ecological transitions during the Carboniferous-Permian boundary in tropical Pangea. Institution: University of Copenhagen Faculty: Faculty of Science Department: Collections Department Role: Academic Researcher Contact: bashforth@snm.ku.dk | +4524277912 His primary research interests span Paleobotany, Paleoecology, and Paleoclimatology, with emphasis on Carboniferous-Permian flora, plant-fossil assemblages in tropical Pangea, arthropod-plant interactions, and climate-driven vegetation shifts. Bashforth investigates how mixtures of wetland and drought-tolerant taxa reflect major climatic transitions, particularly the rise of xeromorphic flora during the Pennsylvanian-Permian transition. His work integrates field studies from key locations including the Illinois Basin, Bornholm, Newfoundland, and Portugal to reconstruct ancient ecosystems and sedimentary environments. Analysis of his 38 research outputs (2015-2024) reveals strong focus on Carboniferous paleoenvironments, with recurring themes of climate-aridity transitions, taphonomic biases in fossil records, and early land plant impacts on sedimentation. His publications frequently address Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata, Permian aridification processes, and marine incursion events in Carboniferous basins. Bashforth maintains active external collaborations across North America and Europe, with significant contributions to journals including Geobios , Palaios , and the Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark . His 2020 paper on upper Paleozoic plant-fossil assemblages has garnered over 50 citations, indicating substantial impact in paleoclimatic reconstruction studies. Professional activities include a 2007 seminar on Carboniferous rainforest vegetation in Newfoundland, demonstrating long-term engagement with Pennsylvanian paleotropical ecosystems. His research shows consistent interdisciplinary collaboration with leading institutions including the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, and University of Bristol.
Matteo Pezzulla is an Associate Professor at Aarhus University within the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering Mechanics and Materials. His research focuses on fluid-structure interactions, soft hydraulics, and elastic instabilities, with applications in biomechanics and solid mechanics. Areas of expertise: Soft hydraulics, Fluid-structure interactions, Elastic instabilities, Biomechanics, Solid mechanics Teaching: Theory of Elasticity (BSc), Slender Structures (MSc) Memberships: American Physical Society (APS), Education Committee at AU Projects: The Architecture of Photosynthesis (2023–2026), Smart Fluidic Channels (2023–2025) His work bridges analytical, numerical, and experimental methods to study shell mechanics and biological systems. Publications highlight fluid-induced buckling, magneto-elastic materials, and biomimetic designs. Contact: matt@mpe.au.dk | +45 20 69 75 22
Helle Sørensen is a Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Her work bridges theoretical and applied statistics with interdisciplinary applications in biological and environmental sciences. Education : BSc (1993), MSc (1997), PhD (2000) in Statistics from University of Copenhagen. Employment : Professor (2018–present), Head of Data Science Lab (2018–2021), Professor MSO and head of Laboratory for Applied Statistics (2013–2018), Associate/Assistant Professor across multiple departments (2000–2013). Research Interests focus on: Functional data analysis Statistical inference for dependent data and stochastic processes Applications in biology, agriculture, and food science Her recent publications highlight statistical methodologies applied to: Enzymatic degradation of plant material Multivariate analysis in metabolic studies Random forest efficiency in metric spaces Quantile regression for longitudinal data Child food texture preferences and insect acceptance Teaching includes courses in basic probability, statistical theory, and applied statistics for bio/life sciences students. She supervises BSc, MSc, and PhD students in Statistics with co-supervision roles in interdisciplinary fields.
Søren Rosendahl is a Professor in Ecology and Evolution at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. He holds a PhD and has been recognized as a Knight (Ridder af Dannebrog) for his contributions to science. His academic career spans over three decades at the University of Copenhagen, where he served as Assistant Professor (1991), Associate Professor (1994), and Professor (2000) in the Department of Mycology, which later became part of the Department of Biology. From 2010-2019, he served as Deputy Head of the Department of Biology. Education: 1984: Master of Science (Cand.scient.) in biology, University of Copenhagen 1985: Practical and theoretical training as high school teacher in biology 1989: Ph.D. (Lic.scient) at Institut for Sporeplanter Professor Rosendahl specializes in molecular ecology, population genetics, and evolution of fungi, with particular emphasis on biotrophic symbionts and parasites. His research encompasses Fusarium, Penicillium, Oomycota (Peronosporamycota), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Glomales, and fungi associated with insects. He employs advanced genomic techniques including rad-sequencing, microsatellites, SNPs, and DNA sequencing to study fungal diversity and distribution patterns. His BioMark project applies population genomics to predict emerging epidemics of Phytophthora infestans (Potato late blight). He also investigates molecular diversity of AMF fungi in agricultural and natural environments using evolutionary and demographic models based on coalescence and MCMC Bayesian statistics. Analysis of Professor Rosendahl's recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary focus spanning fungal ecology, medical microbiology, and agricultural science. His work demonstrates consistent application of molecular genetic approaches to understanding fungal community dynamics across diverse ecosystems - from soil microbial communities to human gut microbiomes. The trend shows increasing integration of computational approaches including hierarchical joint species modeling and co-occurrence networks for microbial community data analysis. His research bridges fundamental fungal biology with practical applications in agriculture, medicine, and environmental science. Scientific Recognition: Knight (Ridder af Dannebrog) Throughout his career, Professor Rosendahl has held numerous leadership and advisory positions. He served as Head of the Department of Mycology (1998-2001), Coordinator for the Bachelor degree in Industrial Science (2002-2005), and Head of the Study Board for Biology (2005-2007). He has represented Danish higher education on the Biology/Biotechnology board in the Ministry of Education since 2010 and has consulted for international organizations including the EC Commission, Norwegian Ministry for Education, and European Baccalaureate Unit. His external collaborations include significant work with Novozymes Biologicals and Thomsen BioScience A/S. Professor Rosendahl maintains active research collaborations through his membership in the European culture collection (BEG - Bank of European Glomales) and has served as Danish representative in multiple COST actions. His research group appears to focus on fungal population genetics with applications spanning agricultural systems, natural ecosystems, and medical contexts.
Katrine Lindholm Bøgh is a Professor and Head of the Research Group for Food Allergy at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Her work focuses on developing diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for food allergies, with a specific emphasis on understanding how physicochemical properties of food proteins influence allergy development versus tolerance. She leads interdisciplinary research at the intersection of immunology, food science, and sustainable nutrition. Current affiliations: DTU National Food Institute, Research Group for Food Allergy Academic rank: Professor Her research integrates Food Allergy , Molecular Allergology , and Allergenicity Assessment to investigate immune mechanisms triggered by protein modifications (e.g., hydrolysis, heat treatment) and exposure routes. She has pioneered studies on Alternative Protein Sources like insect, rapeseed, and microalgae to evaluate allergenic risks in sustainable foods. Recent publications highlight trends in European Union novel food approvals (2025) and mechanistic insights into cow’s milk allergy models (2024). Key themes include Sublingual Immunotherapy , Brown Norway Rat Models , and Protein Processing Effects on allergenicity. She supervises PhD students Yue S.R. and Shafie B., and leads major projects like: ALLEVIATE2: Novel food allergy immunotherapy strategies ALLPreT: Allergenicity Prediction Toolbox for novel foods SAFEPRO: Sustainable protein sources for future diets Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2, SDG 3), and she actively participates in international conferences and media outreach about food allergy risks in innovative protein sources.
Morten Tønsberg Limborg serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute, specifically within the Section for Hologenomics. With extensive international experience as a molecular and evolutionary biologist, he focuses on applying advanced molecular tools to study evolutionary and demographic patterns in marine and salmonid fish species. His research integrates cutting-edge biotechnology to develop sustainable aquaculture practices through microbiome optimization. Dr. Limborg's research interests span molecular biology, evolutionary genetics, and hologenomics with particular emphasis on fish microbiomes and sustainable aquaculture. His work bridges traditional evolutionary biology with contemporary genomic approaches to address pressing issues in marine conservation and food production. He pioneers the application of metagenome sequencing to enhance healthy microbiomes in fish and other production animals, representing a novel intersection of evolutionary biology and sustainable agriculture. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrating hologenomic approaches across multiple biological systems. The research shows increasing sophistication in analyzing host-microbe interactions, with applications spanning from fundamental evolutionary questions to practical aquaculture solutions. His work consistently connects molecular tools with real-world sustainability challenges, particularly in developing greener production regimes for aquatic species. Dr. Limborg actively participates in scientific communication through the Microbial Connections Podcast series, demonstrating his commitment to making complex hologenomic concepts accessible to broader audiences. His collaborative approach is evident through numerous co-authored publications with international researchers across multiple institutions. His laboratory work focuses on hologenomic approaches to understand host-microbiome interactions, particularly in fish species. The research group utilizes advanced sequencing technologies and computational approaches to analyze complex biological systems, with particular attention to how microbiomes influence host health and evolution. Current projects include investigating how sugar kelp can boost gut health in Atlantic salmon and developing frameworks to study microbiome variation in animal ecology.
Annette Nygaard Jensen serves as a Senior Researcher at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), within the Research Group for Food Microbiology and Hygiene. Her work focuses on enhancing food safety throughout production chains, with particular emphasis on primary production systems including organic farming and novel food sources like insect production. Her educational background includes a PhD from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University / Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research (2002-2005) and an M.Sc. in Biology from University of Aarhus (1991-1998). Prior to her current position, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research (1999-2002) followed by a Postdoc at DTU's National Food Institute starting in 2006. Dr. Jensen's research centers on transmission and control of food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli. She has developed significant expertise in food safety within organic farming systems, insect production for food/feed, and pathogen control interventions. Her work has important implications for circular bioeconomy initiatives, particularly regarding the use of organic side-streams as insect feed substrates. She has pioneered research on housefly transmission of Campylobacter to chicken flocks and developed models to investigate pathogen survival in flies. Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent focus on Campylobacter interventions across multiple food production chains, with recent work examining slurry ice technology for poultry decontamination and feed additives for pathogen reduction in broilers. Her research shows strong alignment with practical food safety applications in both conventional and organic production systems. Dr. Jensen currently supervises PhD research on Campylobacter across the broiler production chain and participates in multiple active research projects including SafeChicken (2022-2025) and Combating Campylobacter (2024-2027). She has been involved in numerous European collaborative projects such as SafeOrganic, inVALUABLE, and CamChain, demonstrating her standing in the international food safety research community. Her external engagement includes regular participation in workshops, conferences, and seminars, with recent activities including the Zoonoseseminar 2025, Optimizing utilization of industrial organic waste streams workshop, and the 19th workshop of the EURL/NRLs CPS. She has also contributed to media discussions on food safety topics, particularly regarding insect production and feed additives for pathogen control.
Rodolphe Marie is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health Technology at Technical University of Denmark (DTU), leading the Nanofluidics and Bioimaging group. He holds an ORCID ID (0000-0002-8338-1990) and has been affiliated with DTU since 2001, progressing from PhD student to current group leader roles. Postdoctoral Researcher, Lund University (2005-2006) PhD, DTU (2001-2003) Assistant Professor, DTU (2008-2012) Research Assistant, DTU (2004) His research focuses on experimental nanofluidics and single molecule imaging , with significant contributions to food biophysics and tumor microenvironment studies. Current projects include: Next-generation molecular profiling of soft-matter nanoparticles High throughput optical detection in flow capillaries Nanofluidic devices for nanoparticle imaging Microfluidics platform for tumor microenvironment study Rodolphe Marie's recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate interdisciplinary work at the intersection of nanofluidics , food science , and bioimaging . His work explores protein aggregation mechanisms, emulsification properties, and water-in-water emulsion stabilization using biopolymer systems. He supervises multiple PhD students including Sofia Elise Davidsson Bencker, Peter Willmer, and Panagiotis Senikoglou, while collaborating internationally through research networks focused on food biophysics and microfluidic technologies.
Rikke Dorothea Huulgaard is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg University, within The Technical Faculty of IT and Design. Her research focuses on sustainability, circular economy, ecodesign, and regulatory frameworks. She has contributed to projects like the EDUS training methodology for sustainable development education and the NBE network for sustainable business development in Northern Denmark. Her work addresses challenges in implementing EU directives such as the Ecodesign Directive and explores material efficiency, public procurement strategies, and circular business models. Notable collaborations include projects on circular textiles, insect industry regulatory barriers, and sustainable furniture guidelines. She actively engages in workshops and conferences, delivering talks on integrating SDGs into businesses and education systems. Key research interests include: sustainable development policies, circular economy implementation, material efficiency in product design, and education for sustainable practices. Her publications span case studies on SMEs, public procurement, and regulatory analyses, with a focus on bridging policy and practical application.
Fritzi Grevstad is an Assistant Professor (Senior Research) in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University, affiliated with the College of Agricultural Sciences. Her research is centered at the Richardson Hall Quarantine Facility, where she leads studies on classical biological control of invasive weeds such as knotweeds (Fallopia spp.) and gorse (Ulex europaeus). She works with insect agents collected from native ranges to assess host specificity and efficacy for safe field release. Her research interests include: Population and invasion ecology Plant-herbivore interactions Biological control of invasive plants Phenology and photoperiodism in introduced insects Modeling climatic suitability and phenological mismatch Optimization of biocontrol release strategies The trends in her recent publications show a strong focus on the integration of ecological modeling with empirical studies in biological control. Her work emphasizes the importance of phenological alignment between biocontrol agents and host plants, particularly under climate change. She investigates genetic variation among biocontrol populations, host specificity testing, and long-term impacts of agent releases. Much of her research involves collaborative modeling tools like DDRP for real-time pest forecasting. Although no specific scientific awards are mentioned in the provided text, her extensive publication record in high-impact journals such as Ecological Applications , Biological Control , and Global Change Biology reflects significant scholarly contributions. She has authored technical petitions for field release of biocontrol agents, extension publications for practitioners, and book chapters summarizing national biocontrol programs. Dr. Grevstad advises on the biology and implementation of biocontrol programs, with a history of collaborative grants and research projects involving agencies like the USDA Forest Service and Department of Defense. Her work includes developing decision-support tools and models for weed biocontrol on federal lands. She has co-authored multiple technical reports and petitions submitted to the Technical Advisory Group on Biological Control of Weeds, indicating active grant-funded and regulatory-engaged research. She leads a research team focused on invasive species management, working closely with entomologists, modelers, and quarantine specialists. The team conducts both laboratory and field studies, particularly within the Richardson Hall Quarantine Facility at OSU, to ensure safe and effective development of biological control programs.
