Elizabeth Heather Jakobsen Neilson

Elizabeth Heather Jakobsen Neilson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science. She leads the Plant Ecophysiology Research Group, which focuses on understanding molecular regulation, integration and evolution of plant general and specialized metabolic pathways. Her work provides fundamental knowledge for applications in environmental, agricultural and biotechnological platforms through utilization of comprehensive 'omics' approaches.

Dr. Neilson earned her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2013 with research on cyanogenic glucoside synthesis in Eucalyptus, followed by postdoctoral work at both Copenhagen University and Monash University. Her educational background includes a 2006 Honours in Science (Masters Equivalent) in Plant Physiology.

• Plant specialized metabolism and environmental interactions
• Molecular regulation of plant defense systems
• Abiotic stress responses in plants
• High-throughput phenotyping technologies
• Plant-animal interactions in ecological contexts
• Tree and crop biology applications
• Targeted metabolomics (GC-MS, LC-MS, MS imaging)

Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on plant metabolic pathways, with recent work exploring evolutionary aspects of specialized metabolism across diverse plant species. The research spans from molecular studies of enzymes like flavin containing monooxygenases (FMOs) and cytochromes P450 to ecosystem-level investigations of plant interactions in tundra and forest environments.

Scientific Awards and Recognition

• DFF Sapere Aude (FTP) grant for SuperYUCCA project (2022-2026)
• DFF Project 1 (Inge Lehmann) grant for YUCCApro (2022-2024)
• Novo Nordisk Emerging Investigator award (2019-2024)
• Villum Young Investigator grant (2016-2021)
• Danish Council for Independent Research grant (2016-2021)
• Carlsberg Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2016)
• Sapere Aude Research Talent award (2016)

Dr. Neilson actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with current group members including Cecilie Cetti Hansen (Postdoc), Joachim Møller Christensen (PhD), and Ingvild Ryde (PhD). Her research program is supported by multiple concurrent grants totaling several million DKK, demonstrating strong research productivity and external funding success. She maintains significant international collaborations with institutions including University of Queensland, Virginia Tech, and Monash University.

The Plant Ecophysiology Research Group operates as a dynamic team utilizing phenomics, metabolomics, proteomics and transcriptomics to investigate plant-environment interactions. Current research directions include YUCCA multifunctionality for crop resistance, plant FMO optimization, and specialized metabolite pathways in diverse plant species from ferns to Eucalyptus.