Elisabeth M. Biersma

Elisabeth M. Biersma is an Assistant Professor at the Botany Section of the Natural History Museum of Denmark (SNM), which is part of the University of Copenhagen (KU). She has been employed at SNM since May 2023 as co-Investigator on the Carlsberg Foundation-funded project "Greenland plant diversity patterns and pollination networks in a changing Arctic" under Principal Investigator Prof. Natasha L. de Vere.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cambridge (2012-2016)
• M.Sc. in 'Joint Nordic Master's Programme in Marine Ecosystems and Climate' from University of Bergen (2010-2012)
• B.Sc. in Biology from University of Groningen (2007-2010)

As an evolutionary biologist, Dr. Biersma specializes in molecular biology techniques applied to population genetics, phylogenetics, and biogeography. Her research focuses on the evolutionary history and origins of polar region biodiversity, with particular emphasis on plant and microbial communities in Arctic and Antarctic environments. She investigates how climate change is altering plant diversity patterns and pollinator interactions in Greenland, combining both laboratory and field analytical approaches to understand ecosystem responses to environmental change.

Her publication record demonstrates a strong research trajectory in polar ecosystem science, with recent work spanning Antarctic biodiversity assessments, Greenland vegetation monitoring using remote sensing, and molecular approaches to understanding plant-microbe interactions in extreme environments. She has contributed to major collaborative international efforts documenting polar biodiversity and developing conservation frameworks.

Dr. Biersma has successfully secured multiple competitive research grants including:

• Carlsberg Foundation "Semper Ardens: Accelerate" grant (2021, as co-I)
• Carlsberg Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019-2022, as PI)
• SYNTHESYS+ Virtual Access Call (EU) (2020-2021, as co-PI)
• Aage V. Jensen Fond grant (2019-2022, as PI)
• NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility grant (2014-2015, as co-I)

She actively mentors students and invites M.Sc. candidates to contact her regarding potential research projects related to her work on polar biodiversity and climate change impacts.