Carsten Pedersen

Carsten Pedersen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science, specializing in plant-microbe interactions with particular focus on pathogen effector genomics and biology. His research primarily utilizes barley and the barley powdery mildew fungus $$\text{Blumeria hordei}$$ as a pathosystem, while also employing Arabidopsis and its compatible powdery mildew fungi, along with research on the stripe rust pathogen $$\text{Puccinia striiformis}$$.

Dr. Pedersen holds a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark (1991-1995) and an Agronom degree from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (1983-1990). His external positions include postdoctoral work at the University of Adelaide (1995-1996) and Universität Hamburg (1995), followed by research at Risø National Laboratory (1997-2004).

His primary research areas encompass plant defense signaling using Arabidopsis mutants, characterization of the Danish apple collection using SNP-markers, genome-wide association studies for fruit quality traits, and research on wild Crocus species with recent focus on indoor cultivation of $$\text{Crocus sativus}$$ under various light spectra conditions. His work spans molecular plant pathology, genomics, and sustainable horticultural practices.

Dr. Pedersen's publication record shows consistent high-impact research output with recent publications spanning plant pathology, light spectrum effects on saffron, and molecular mechanisms of plant immunity. His work demonstrates integration of molecular biology, genomics, and physiological approaches across multiple plant-pathogen systems.

As an educator, Dr. Pedersen teaches Genetics (as course responsible), Plantevidenskab (as course responsible), Molecular Genetics, From Genomics to Plant Breeding, Fruit and Berry Crop Physiology and Quality, and Advanced Plant Ecophysiology. His supervision record includes 13 PhD students and 14 master's students as main or co-supervisor, along with numerous short- and long-term lab visitors.

His research collaborations span multiple international institutions as evidenced by co-authorship with researchers from various countries. Current projects focus on understanding plant immune mechanisms against fungal pathogens and optimizing saffron cultivation through light spectrum manipulation.